


The Young Wizard and The Bat: Asylum

by Praxus84



Series: The Wizard and The Bat series [1]
Category: Batman: Arkham (Video Games), RWBY
Genre: Crossover, RWBY character in Arkham Asylum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 96,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25151938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Praxus84/pseuds/Praxus84
Summary: Just when Oscar thinks his life couldn't get any wilder, poof! He's stuck in an asylum taken over by a psycho clown, and the inmates are trying to kill him! At least he's not alone; a vigilante who dresses up like a bat is there, and Oz apparently considers him a friend... Please only constructive criticism, no flames. RWBY and Batman: Arkham Asylum belong to respective owners.
Relationships: Batman & James Gordon, Ozpin & Batman, Ozpin & Oscar Pine, Rogues Gallery (Batman) & Bruce Wayne
Series: The Wizard and The Bat series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822714
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if getting blasted off a ledge and falling all the way through a floating continent, only surviving by using weird magic, wasn't insane enough...

"Y'know, I could've landed a little closer to Mantle."

Oscar Pine trudged with a light grumble through the dirty slush, heading towards one of the closer buildings. He'd been happier in his life, but ever since a few months ago, he'd began hearing a voice in his head, telling him that he had an important destiny. Unable to make it go away, Oscar left his aunt's farm and headed for the city of Mistral, where he ran into a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses and learned that the voice was that of Professor Ozpin, a man who had apparently been battling some kind of queen of the Grimm for millennia and was now fused with his soul. He then started learning how to fight with a cane a drunk Huntsman gave him that felt oddly familiar, just in time to go up against Salem's followers, some of whom zeroed in on him for different reasons. Next came a train ride to Argus that got derailed and left everyone finding out that Ozpin had been keeping even more things secret than they realized. So, Oscar got to take a few hits while his predecessor buried himself away in his (their?) head in shame. Right after he managed to find his resolve and patch things up with his friends, the boy got to take part in an airship heist and fighting a crazy old lady in a giant robot before they reached the kingdom of Atlas. And that's not even considering the last few hours where he'd been declared a wanted fugitive in Atlas while being attacked by a crazy mute girl with a bladed parasol, lost an incredibly powerful Relic to her, and was shot off a ledge by General Ironwood, a man he'd started to consider a friend.

_Well, if it's any comfort, Oscar, that was a very impressive first attempt at a landing strategy._

Oh right, and the only reason he'd even survived the million-feet fall was because the voice in his head had finally decided to come back and show him how to access freaky magic powers he'd never known he had. Oscar wasn't sure whether he was angry that Ozpin had only bothered to help him when his life was in danger, or relieved that he had helped him.

"Thanks," the ex-farmhand muttered, "but I don't suppose you could show me how to fly over to where we need to go? It would beat walking."

 _Unfortunately, no for two reasons,_ Ozpin replied. _First, if people are there, they would most likely attempt to shoot you down; the oncoming storm has everyone on edge. Second, our reserves of magic aren't unlimited, and after that feat, it will take some time for you to be back to full strength. Trust me, this is the best course for now._

Oscar couldn't help but scoff. "Of course. Trust the guy who had been hiding from his students, the world, even his closest followers the truth about Salem. Why on Remnant wouldn't I do that?"

He heard a deep sigh echo in his mind. _I deserved that._

Oscar was about to agree to that statement, then stopped walking and shook his head. Instead, he said, "Look, we've got a lot of things to clear up. But for now, Atlas is in danger, and Ruby and the others could probably use all the help they can get. I'm willing to work with you as long as you're straight with me, Oz."

For a while, he heard nothing. Then a low chuckle. _You've grown so much, Oscar. And frankly, I'm quite sure I have run out of secrets by now._

Oscar couldn't stop himself from smiling, but continued walking. "I'll hold you to that." The rest of the journey was long, uneventful and silent, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. As he drew closer to a large shack not far from the rest of Mantle, Oscar couldn't help but look up towards the giant cloud of Grimm looming over Atlas. "Why isn't she attacking?" He finally asked. "Salem knows Ironwood and his troops aren't in the best shape right now. So why doesn't she just send the Grimm on a rampage?"

 _Knowing her,_ Ozpin began in a bitter tone, _Salem is playing a power game right now. She is showing off her might and letting the people of Atlas grow even more agitated in the presence of her forces. At this point, I am not sure who will crack first under the pressure, them or James._ The last part was said with a twinge of sadness. _Somebody once told me that being shot is nowhere near as terrifying as thinking you're about to be shot. An apt metaphor for the current situation._

Oscar couldn't help but feel sympathy for the general. "I was positive he wouldn't let his fear control him. For a while, we were winning; Mantle was safe, Tyrian and Watts had been caught…" He threw his hands up in frustration before letting them fall back to his sides. "How did everything go from looking hopeful to… this?"

 _Fear is a powerful force, Oscar. And even when we think we control it, a single push can be all that is needed for us to succumb to it._ Ozpin sounded so resigned. _But like you said, it's what we do in those moments that shows who we are._

The conversation ended as Oscar reached the shack he had been aiming for. Stepping into the open doorway, he knocked lightly against the wood. "Hello?" The boy called. "Anyone here?" No one answered, and there was a thick layer of dust on the floor, the table, the wooden chairs. "Think we're alone?" He asked out loud.

_It certainly appears so. If any people do show up, then simply say you were lost and looking for a place to rest._

"That last part's true, at least," Oscar sighed as he practically fell onto a chair. "I'm completely wiped."

_No surprise, considering the night you've had. Take a few minutes to get your strength back. Your Aura will heal your body, but it still takes time._

Oscar's eyes flickered to the time-and-date clock on the wall; reading a quarter past nine in the morning. "No offense, Ozpin, but we don't have a lot of time. Salem's not going to do her little intimidation routine forever, and we- "his voice trailed off as he suddenly noticed something weird. "Am I going crazy or is the table… glowing?"

 _No, I can see it, too. And I can… sense something. Though, unless I'm wrong, it's coming not from the table, but from within its cupboard._ Intrigued, Oscar walked over and pulled out the drawer. Inside was a small crystal. It may have looked like an average Dust crystal if not for the fact that it was glowing gold. As he reached for it, Ozpin spoke up again. _Wait, don't touch it. I'm not quite sure why, but this feels familiar._

Oscar grunted in annoyance. "Look, I thought I made it clear that your secret-keeping was getting old. Would it be so hard to give a straight answer for- "Then his fingers brushed against the gem, and there was a bright flash.

* * *

_scar… Oscar… Oscar!_

When Oscar's eyes opened, he was lying outside, and it was raining. Rubbing his head, he slowly stood up. "I'm up already. No need to be my alarm clock, that routine wasn't exactly fun on the farm."

_Well, I wouldn't need to fall back on it if you could simply listen to me._

"Oh, and you couldn't tell me something would happen like me getting teleported outside in the rain?" Oscar practically felt the breath of exasperation his predecessor let out at that.

 _Oh, for goodness' sakes, I didn't know what that crystal was, which is why I explicitly told you not to touch it! Just because I am a little vague doesn't automatically mean I am hiding something._ The boy made to retort, but then Ozpin cut him off in a gentler tone. _Besides, take another look around._

Complying, the farmboy immediately noticed a couple of things: for one, his formerly dirty and torn combat gear was as pristine as the day he had bought it. Plus, as he flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders a bit, he didn't any of the soreness from the previous night's events. He could even sense his Aura was back at full gauge.

As for his surroundings, gone was the wide and snow-capped terrain of Mantle's outskirts. Instead, he was only a few steps away from exiting a narrow alleyway, littered with trash and old newspapers, all soggy from the downpour. Streetlights did little to make the spot feel any less gloomy, and Oscar couldn't help but reach for the Long Memory clipped to his back. Cars drove by in the street while horns sounded in accordance with thunder rumbling overhead.

"Think we landed in Mantle or something?" Oscar asked while casting a wary glance around; something felt off about this alley, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

_Possibly, but I've visited Mantle a couple of times before -not recently, of course- and the buildings don't quite match the typical architecture. I am not sure where we could… Oh._

"What? Is there something…" Oscar's voice trailed off as he looked up and his jaw almost popped off. Even through the rainclouds, he could see the moon shining brightly… and it was whole.

"…I don't think we're on Remnant anymore, Ozpin…"

 _Agreed._ Even the ancient wizard sounded surprised. _This has only happened to me once before; in fact, it was in the life that came just before our souls were bound together._

"Seriously?!" The young warrior practically shouted, not noticing a couple of figures moving from the darker part of the alley towards him.

If he had a face, Ozpin would've nodded. _It was eight years ago, long before I met Miss Rose or any of her teammates. I had heard that a student of mine had found a strangely glowing object just outside Beacon Academy, and she brought it to my office. No sooner had she left, did I touch it and found myself… somewhere else. I promise you we can discuss this more later, but for now, you have company._

"What do you- Ah, gotcha," Oscar started before realizing what his mentor had been referring to; four grown men were standing right behind him, dressed in baggy clothes with nasty smirks on their faces.

"Hey, kid, you lost here?" One of them ( _probably the leader_ ), a big man with a poorly cut mohawk, sneered as he stepped closer to the boy.

"U-uh, yeah." Oscar said, rubbing the back of his head. "I-I just got here by accident. Could you guys maybe tell me where I am?" His eyes drifted away from theirs the way they always did when he met someone new but stayed on their bodies; he'd had enough training by now to know when to stay on guard. These guys were not giving off friendly vibes.

"Not a problem, squirt," the same guy drawled, his hand drifting to his coat pocket. "Me an' my buddies was wonderin' what a nice kid like you'd be doin' in a place like dis."

"Maybe headed for a fancy costume party or sumthin'?" The biggest one snorted, a dark-skinned man with a fading scar under his right eye. "Dose are some fine-lookin' clothes ya got…"

"Ah, quit horsin' around, Espo." A slightly smaller guy shouted. Even from a distance, Oscar could smell the cheap booze on him. "This kid got no business waltzin' aroun' here in Crime Alley!"

 _Wh-_ Ozpin's shocked voice reverberated in Oscar's head before asking in a forcibly calmer tone, _Crime Alley?! Did I hear him wrong, Oscar, or did he say Crime Alley just now?_

"Yeah, I think so," Oscar whispered back while taking a step out of the alleyway. "Why, does it sound familiar?"

"What you whisperin' there, boy?" But both ignored the mugger in favor of noticing two more guys coming at the emerald-clad teen from opposite directions. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were friends with the ones that had first approached him.

Oscar spoke up. "Y-yeah, I'm… new in town and got turned around a bit, I-I mean, the streets all look the same, and I'm kinda late for something, so if you guys don't mind, I'll just get out of your hair" he paused, noting at least three of them were bald, "well, you get the idea."

The leader laughed at that. "Aww, no worries, kid, we ain't gonna hurt you," he said unconvincingly. "In fact, me an' my buddies would be happy t' help you where yaw anna go. Gotham's a scaaary city at night."

 _Gotham City…_ Oscar kept his right hand close to his cane as his "partner" spoke up. _I have good news and bad news, Oscar. The good news is that I recognize this place; it's the very same one I was sent to years ago. I'd never forget the name of this alley._

"And the bad news?" Oscar mumbled.

_Look at their jackets. See those insignias on their shoulders? Unless that has changed in my absence, I believe they are the personal emblem of a crime lord calling himself the Penguin. So, these unsavory characters are undoubtably trying to rob, or worse, kidnap you._

"Yeah, I didn't think they would want to show me to the closest ice-cream store, I'm not that stupid." He whispered while glaring at one calling him "sweet-lookin". At this point, all six of them had formed a semi-circle around the young man.

_I didn't mean to imply you were, besides, I wasn't quite finished. Not only are these gentlemen unlikely to have any more combat training than how to throw a half-decent punch, but the humans here do not possess Aura. So, you would need to restrain yourself a bit, Oscar, lest you accidentally kill them._

"Okay, got it," Oscar was honestly pretty shocked at all this; not only was he on a different world, but it was one Ozpin had visited before, and the people didn't have Aura?! How would they be able to fight Grimm? Unless there weren't any Grimm here…

_No, Grimm do not exist on this planet. Neither do Faunus. Sadly, humans are perhaps the greatest threat to humans here. Before we go into greater detail, I believe the man is expecting an answer to his offer._

"Hey, you deaf or somethin', kid?" The leader asked, trading confused looks with his friends. "I asked ya somethin'!"

"O-oh, right, sorry!" Oscar stuttered, raising his left hand in apparent apology. "I just got caught up a bit in my thoughts. Thanks for the offer, but I think I know where to go now. Don't I?" He said the last part in a whisper aimed at Ozpin.

 _Of course. Assuming Gotham hasn't been completely remodeled, I know exactly where we can find help._ Oz answered confidently.

Meanwhile, some of the thugs were looking even more confused. "What's up with dis kid?" The big, black one whispered to the smaller drunk. "He ain't shittin' his pants or tryin' t' run away, and he keeps talkin' to himself."

"Yeah, an' those clothes? Y' think he's some kinda junior basketcase or somethin'?"

"What if he's wit the Bat?" The third guy suddenly mumbled. "Like he's a new sidekick, like Robin?" Everyone of the thugs froze at the thought, before their leader elbowed the guy in the gut.

"Willya quit it already?" He quickly said, trying to hide his own terror. "The Bat-freak's chasin down Joker right now, no way he's here. You guys ain't scared of one little boy dressed up like a freakin' leprechaun, are ya?" They all shook their heads, some a bit more reluctant than others. "Then get 'im!" Two pulled out knives while the others put their fists and moved in, the leader hanging back.

Oscar sighed and pulled out his cane, murmuring, "Here we go," before activating the lever on his weapon. The ebony shaft shot out at full length, the teen crouched a bit, then all the muggers would later feel was regret and pain.

The Long Memory blurred, knocking the air out of the first guy's lungs with a jab like black lightning, then tripping up the second one coming at him. As that thug crashed to the ground, the drinker flicked his knife at Oscar's face only to get flipped head-over-heels into a trashcan. The big one swung a meaty fist at his target's face, but it never reached him as the boy ducked, thrusting his cane against another's knee and causing that one to pitch forward. The teen then stepped onto his back and leaped upwards, driving the thug into the ground. His leap turned into a somersault as he flipped over the big guy, striking him four times in the back. He collapsed a second after Oscar's boots touched the pavement. The guy he'd tripped scrambled back up, grabbing a knife from his downed buddy, then jabbed it downwards; Oscar simply leaned out of the way and changed hands on his cane before bringing it up, smacking the base into his nose and knocking him back down with a pained cry.

The leader, eyes wide open, pulled out shaking a revolver, but before he could so much as thumb back the hammer, Oscar snapped the cane against his wrist, sending it flying. A second strike cracked hard into his jaw, sending him spinning to the pavement clutching his face in pain.

Breathing a sigh in relief, Oscar quickly collapsed the Long Memory and picked up the gun and, under Ozpin's instruction, ejected the bullets and disassembled it before dropping the pieces. "Is it always like this in Gotham?" He wondered out loud.

 _Unfortunately._ Ozpin confirmed. _That being said, well done. You've grown fluid in transitioning from one opponent to another, and you applied no more force than necessary, even though you're not used to fighting humans without Aura._

Fighting down a blush at the praise, Oscar instead looked at his downed attackers. "So, any idea what we do with these guys? Is there any kind of Huntsmen or law- "Then sirens blared and a black-and-white car drove up the street before stopping in front of the alley. Two uniformed people, a man and a woman, got out and drew guns at him. The woman shouted, "Drop your weapons, hands in the air!"

Oscar could only blink and mumble, "Speak of the Brother of Darkness,"

 _And the Brother of Darkness shall appear._ Ozpin finished, amused. _I would comply with them for now. Your Aura could withstand point-blank shots, but we should really avoid making enemies of the GCPD. Sorry, Gotham City Police Department._

Oscar nodded in agreement, remembering the last time someone had shot him point-blank, before slowly pulling out his cane and laying it on the ground. He then rose and lifted his hands in the air, saying, "I'm not looking for trouble. I was just defending myself."

"Then don't move," the woman said while moving around him. Meanwhile, her partner was checking on the crooks still moaning on the street. After a few minutes of checking, he pulled out some handcuffs and whistled.

"Man, somebody did a number on them. Bruises and sore spots, but not a single life-threatening wound." He turned to his partner who was patting down the teen. "Hey McQueen, these are some of Cobblepot's goons."

The woman, McQueen, nodded and addressed the boy. "What's your name, kid, and how did you get mixed up with these guys? And what happened to them?"

Oscar, looking down, started explaining, "W-well, my name is Oscar Pine, and I was just walking down the alley when these guys showed and tried mugging me. I resisted, and well, this," he nodded his head toward the guys getting cuffed around a streetlamp. "was how it ended. I-I wasn't trying to kill them, I swear."

McQueen looked at her partner. "Okay, Richards, call it in. Tell them we've got a group of thugs handcuffed just outside Crime Alley, and that we're bringing in a fourteen-year-old kid, Caucasian, wearing a green overcoat. Let's get him to Arkham."

Richards looked at her in surprise. "You wanna take this kid to Arkham Asylum? What, so they can lock him up with the rest of the freaks?!"

"A-Asylum?!" Oscar stuttered, backing away from the two. "I-I swear, I'm not crazy! Ask around, I'm sure somebody saw what happened!"

"Hey, easy, you two." McQueen said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. "I don't think you're crazy, if only 'cause that bar's set pretty high in this town. But Commissioner Gordon radioed and said he'd be setting up base there after the whole mess at City Hall gets cleared up. If anything, he's the best chance of clearing up what happens to you next, okay?"

 _Commissioner Gordon?_ Ozpin said, _Seems like more than a few things have changed in my absence. But I remember him to be a law-abiding, trustworthy man, if a bit skeptical. We can trust him._

Oscar sighed and, after a brief hesitation, said, "Alright, sorry about that. I'll help in any way I can." Richards gave him a reassuring smile and McQueen opened the door to the car's back seats, gently beckoning him to enter. As soon everyone got in, McQueen started up the car and drove them towards the outer part of the city. After only a few minutes of driving, a broadcast sounded from the police scanner.

"All units, proceed to Gotham City Hall. The Joker has been apprehended. Batman is now en route to Arkham Island."

Oscar started in confusion. Joker? Batman? This all sounded like one of those comic book movies he and Jaune would watch. He nervously asked, "Uh, what's going on…? Did something happen?"

"You could say that," McQueen mumbled. "A crazy bas- monster called the Joker attacked City Hall and took the mayor hostage. And another nutcase dressed up like a bat -hence the name- showed up and stopped him. Wonder how many times this has happened now. Maybe the Bat'll be throwing an anniversary soon." She joked as Richards called in their own situation.

Moreover, Oz stirred at the mention in an almost nostalgic way. _Heh, I suppose the more things change, the more they stay the same. I'm honestly a bit happy to see Batman again; a shame we won't be meeting him in his headquarters. We could both use a hot cup of chocolate._

"Wait, what?" Oscar asked a little too loudly, causing Richards to look back at him.

"Everything okay back there?" The man asked gently.

"Uh, y-yeah, sorry. I'm just a little… tired, I guess." Oscar quickly assured him while leaning back in near expasperation.

Seated in the back of a police car that was driving to an asylum where he'd be meeting some guy called "Batman", who the voice in his head somehow knew, plus being stuck on a world almost completely different from Remnant; Oscar couldn't help but wonder:

How did my life get so crazy?

_You have no idea how many times I've asked myself that over the millennia…_


	2. Chapter 1: Faces New and Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oscar get his first introduction to Arkham Asylum, some of its... occupants, and a certain dark knight. One Oz is familiar with.

The ride to Arkham wasn't particularly long, but it did offer some time to think and talk, at least in a manner of speaking. _What is this city like?_ Oscar mentally asked after a few minutes of driving. _You said before that this world doesn't have any Grimm, that there aren't even Faunus here. So that means no White Fang, right? So why does Gotham feel even more- well, depressing than Mantle?_

 _Like I said, just because Grimm or the White Fang aren't part of this planet -which is called Earth, by the way- doesn't mean that it still possesses threats._ Ozpin explained. _Before I first arrived here, Gotham seemed to be suffering under a perpetual crime wave. Gangs were constantly rising up and in conflict with each other, the police were largely corrupt or ill-equipped to deal with them, and the average citizen lived in perpetual, practically resigned terror that any day might be their last. Do you remember the name of that alley we landed in?_

 _Yeah, Crime Alley, right? Wait, was that the spot where you came to Gotham?_ They were now driving through densely packed woods. Two road signs could be seen on the side, respectively reading, "ARKHAM," and, "HITCHHIKERS MAY BE ESCAPING PATIENTS." _Reassuring._ A tall tower could barely be seen in the distance, but the twisted, dead-looking trees blocked most of the view. The rain wasn't helping much either.

_Actually, no. My first view of Gotham came through the Bowery, a neighborhood bordered by Crime Alley to the north. Frankly, your reception was a bit tamer than the one I received; I accidently interrupted a drug deal, and the gentlemen mistook me for some sort of rich snob who had lost his way._

Oscar smirked a little at the thought. _Something tells me they regretted that._

 _Oh, they did._ Oz briefly gave an embarrassed chuckle. _Though I gave them a harsher beating than I had intended because I expected them to have unlocked their Auras. But I digress. Crime Alley's original name was Park Row, however the people renamed it due to it being a place where many terrible crimes were committed. Ironically, one such tragedy on its pavement birthed this city's greatest protector._

 _This Batman guy you want to meet?_ The teen frowned in confusion. _Is he some kind of Huntsman or whatever Earth has for Huntsmen?_

_Nothing so official, at least when we first met. He could best be described as a vigilante; one the police were not fond of. At least their opinion seems to have softened a bit, if they are letting him transport criminals to an asylum._

_Can we trust him?_

_I should think so, though time has obviously passed here in my absence. He was a stoic, stubborn one, with difficulty trusting others, but his devotion to his self-imposed mission was unrivalled, and he would never stand by if an innocent was in danger._

_No wonder you like him so much,_ Oscar joked before noticing a change in the ride. The car sped under a wide arch with winged, hooded females holding lanterns and the words "ARKHAM ASYLUM" emblazoned on top. From the window he could see them driving on a bridge to an island just off the mainland. The tower he saw from before was equipped with a clock and positioned behind a cluster of buildings. Lights lit up the entire complex, and even from a distance, Oscar could see people moving to and from different spots. He finally asked, _So, what do you know about this place?_

_Not much. The asylum was built many years ago, by an Amadeus Arkham, I believe. It was long since abandoned and not operational by the time I arrived, so I didn't need to learn much about it, other than it having a rather unsettling history which I'd rather not tell you. It seems someone decided to have it reopened. I can't really decide whether that is a good development or a disturbing one._

_Personally, I'd go with "disturbing,"_ Oscar mumbled in his thoughts as the squad car pulled up to a large building. Richards led him out of the backseat, and the thickly locked gate automatically opened for them to enter. Inside, a broad corridor led to a steel door where the sign above read, ARKHAM ASYLUM INTENSIVE TREATMENT. A group of heavily armored officers were on standby, positioned on opposite sides and rifles at the ready. Oscar flinched for a moment, not sure if he would survive a shootout with them, before feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," McQueen said reassuringly, "these guys aren't meant for you." Sure enough, the guns weren't trained on him. Everyone here did seem on edge, though, including the middle-aged, bespectacled man standing in front of the door at the end of the corridor. He was of slightly less-than-average height with a bit of a bulging stomach, dressed in a dark-blue pinstripe suit with a red tie and a red flower fixed to his right lapel. His hand clutched a long cane with a ruby attached to the top. _It's most probably fake,_ Ozpin told his protégé, who upon seeing it, briefly wondered how Ruby and their friends were doing. _We will see them again, Oscar. That I promise you._

 _Thanks,_ Oscar sent back just as they reached the man. He in turn eyed the teenager with an unimpressed look behind his glasses. Turning to the officers, he asked, "Officers, why are you bringing a child here?"

Oscar looking down at all the attention, Richards spoke up. "A nurse called the police from Dr. Thompkins' clinic, warden Sharpe, sir. She saw a group of thugs ganging up on this kid just inside Crime Alley. My partner and I were closest, so we drove over as fast as we could."

Sharpe's lip twitched. "That alley is nothing more than a magnet for criminal filth. Just what were they trying to do to the boy?"

"They couldn't do anything, warden." McQueen replied. "When we got there, he was the only one standing." Sharpe blinked in surprise at that, and he looked at Oscar again, this time studying his combat outfit. "Said he was only fighting back."

The guard who'd been standing behind the warden snorted and stepped within Oscar's line of sight. He was bigger than the warden and clad in full gear, except for the helmet; without it, the nasty scar over his left white eye was visible. "You're telling me this squirt beat up a couple of grownups? Either they were total pussies, or we've got another vigilante in front of us." Oscar almost glared at the man; his voice stank of mockery and alcohol. The latter reminded him (and Ozpin) of their friend Qrow, who had tended to take regular swigs from his flask. This trait had only gotten worse when his trust in Oz had been shattered, and it had taken a severe scolding from his own niece for the Huntsman to snap out of it. Ozpin's shame over the memory of him lashing out threatened to swamp Oscar's head.

_I should've tried to dissuade him from alcoholism, but I didn't think I had any right to judge, given my own relationship with that habit._

_Take it easy, Oz,_ Oscar tried to comfort him. _Qrow's been strong these few months with giving up drinking; Ruby and Yang told me they hadn't seen him touch a drop of the stuff._

The old professor breathed a sigh of relief. _That's good to hear; he's a better man than he gives himself credit._ Any further Oz-to-Os discussion was halted, though, due to Oscar focusing on the talk in front of him.

"-enough, Officer Boles!" Sharpe said – well, sharply. "You can ask Batman himself about this child's status when he arrives with that piece of scum!" At this, everyone tensed at who the warden meant. Even Ozpin seemed on edge.

Just then, the doors to the courtyard opened again. Oscar turned around to stare at two men in the rain outside, both of which he'd never seen before and yet seemed familiar.

One of them was tall and well-built, clad in black-and-gray armor and a cowl over the upper half of his face while the lower was set in an apparently permanent frown. Large, spiked gauntlets covered his forearms while the only color came from an oversized golden belt carrying multiple pouches. Pointed ears were mounted on top of the cowl, and a pitch-black cape rippled in the air currents. By usual standards, the costume should've been ridiculous, but somehow, this man channeled an aura of fear and respect. _Is… Is he the Batman?_ Oscar asked mentally in awe. _I mean, the one you remember?_

 _I'm positive,_ Ozpin answered in an almost nostalgic tone. _His suit has changed -much less armor now- but he_ _is_ _the same man I met eight years ago._ Oscar felt flashes of memories -deflecting some sort of bat-shaped projectile, arguing with a younger-looking man in a bulkier batsuit(?), shaking hands goodbye with that same person- before a laugh that chilled his spine echoed through the hall.

He finally looked at the other man who'd been kneeling handcuffed when Oscar first saw him. This one was skinny, in an old-fashioned purple pinstripe suit and orange waistcoat that looked filthy. But what really scared the young hero was the face; skin white as bone, green hair that looked sickly, a giant grin pronounced by red makeup (that looked a little too much like blood for Oscar's liking) and his pointed chin under narrow jawlines. And the eyes, oh gods, the eyes! They blazed green with madness and promises of violence, as if this man had been born just to bring about chaos. Oscar wanted to look away but was too scared not to, like he'd die if he lost sight of whoever he was. _Who is this guy?_ He whispered to Ozpin.

 _That,_ and the boy had never heard such venom in Ozpin's voice before, _is the Joker. Be on your guard._ More memories came; that same face, younger-looking but filled with the same malevolence, leaning in too close for comfort; wrenching aside his arm that was trying to jab a knife into his neck; striking him multiple times with his cane; and all the while, that laughter… _I'm sorry,_ Oz suddenly said, this time apologetic and with a marked effort to sound calmer. _I didn't mean to show you all that at once. Our meetings were… violent, to say the least._

Oscar nodded subtly, shuddering both at the memories and at the man in front of him. Back on Remnant, even the Grimm would probably be terrified of him. He continued to giggle even as Batman forced him to his feet and pushed him towards them. All the while, the guards tracked him with his rifles while Richards and McQueen's hands stayed close to their pistols. Not that Joker seemed to care; his smile didn't even falter as he casually said, "Hey, Sharpie… Love what you've done with the place!" He then eyed Oscar who reflexively took a step back. "Ooh, is it 'Bring Little Boys and Girls to The Asylum' Day already? I must've missed the memo!" Batman pulled him back forcefully.

Sharpe scowled. "That's WARDEN Sharpe to you!" He turned to the scarred guard and nodded his head towards the clown. "Boles!" He in turn marched up to the Joker.

"Yo, Frank-ay. How's the wife and kids? Ya miss me?"

"Shut it, clown!" Boles grabbed him by the green bowtie and pulled him in close, snarling, "A lot of people here really want to talk to you." He then dragged the still-laughing Joker towards a table equipped with leather straps that another guard was wheeling over. The two immediately began uncuffing him and strapping him against the table, despite his protests.

"Really! I don't mind walking!"

"Yeah, but we mind…" Oscar muttered before freezing as Batman stepped closer to him. At such a distance, he felt even more impressed. It was most likely because of the eyes, which he could see more clearly now; barely visible underneath his mask, they were the color of cold steel and shined with intelligence and a kind of determination that rivaled, probably eclipsed, that of Ironwood, Ruby, Hazel or anyone else he'd met in his life.

The vigilante in turn studied him closely. "What's a boy doing here?" He finally asked, a dark growl that almost made Oscar jump. "Who is he?" The teen heard his "partner" humming in thought.

 _His voice sounds much more guttural than I remember._ Oscar had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing at the comment; it was so out of the blue! _Ozpin!_

 _Sorry, sorry. Merely an observation._ In the meantime, the officers that had brought him here were filling Batman in how they came across him.

"Called himself 'Oscar Pine'. We wanted to bring him to the commissioner in case he was one of your new sidekicks or something." McQueen finished. She then pulled out the Long Memory from her belt and held it out. "He was carrying this, too."

It was hard to tell with the cowl, but Oscar could've sworn Batman's eyes widened in slight surprise when he saw the handle. Carefully taking it out of her hand, he turned it over, analyzing every detail of its design. _Think he recognizes it?_ Oscar asked Ozpin.

 _It seems that way, but I think you shouldn't let me come out right now. Not when we're in an institution meant for treating people deemed mentally unstable, and_ _not_ _when the Joker is within earshot._ Oscar subtly nodded at the advice; if Atlas had taught him anything, it's that there was a time and place for the truth. _Batman will want answers, though. So be ready._

After a few more seconds, Batman calmly attached the Long Memory to the back of his belt and turned to the officers. "I'm heading to Gordon so I can keep an eye on Joker. He'll come with me." He told them, nodding to Oscar, who shyly nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Joker was almost fully locked up. "What, no leather for ages 18 and under? Sorry, kiddo, you might have to share with me!" The final strap was then tightened, cutting off his laugh. "Not so tight, boys, you'll crease the suit!" He then giggled again.

Sharpe turned up his nose in disgust. "Get that filthy degenerate out of here."

Batman turned to him, "Warden, something's not right. I'm going with him." As the doors opened and a cackling Joker was carted through, cameras tracking him, Batman lightly tapped Oscar's shoulder and said in an unexpectedly gentler tone, "Oscar, right? Stay close to me for now. We'll talk about this," indicating his cane, "later." Oscar nodded, a little more at ease, and walked two steps ahead of him through the open doorway. As they walked, Batman briefly addressed a bald guard standing watch. "Is Commissioner Gordon here yet?"

"Yes, sir," the guard affirmed. "he's, err, waiting for you down at Patient Handover. He got here just before you did."

All the while, Joker kept up a running commentary. "Sharpie LOVES his cameras. Hey, Sharpie! You getting my good side? Aw, but heck, they're all good, aren't they? C'mon, smile, Greenlee! You know you're never fully dressed without one!" A brief chuckle, then, "Why, these folks just might arrest you for partial nudity!" Oscar shuddered a bit at the taunts. _Don't let him get to you, Oscar._ Oz's voice and Batman's presence calmed him.

Sharpe had been walking to the right of the two, barking orders. "I want him securely locked away this time. Another escape and I will lose support for my mayoral campaign."

Hearing this, Oscar managed to reduce a full roll of the eyes to a brief interest in the floor. Politics had caused a good amount of trouble back in Atlas; Weiss' father Jacques had been willing to agree to anything just to get a seat on the Council, and look how that had turned out; Tyrian Callows slaughtering innocent people at a celebration, Robyn Hill going full vigilante, Jacques himself being arrested by his own daughter for treason and as an accessory to murder, and Doctor Watts nearly letting Mantle freeze to death (assuming the Grimm didn't kill them first). And it looks like this warden wasn't much better.

"Don't worry, warden. I have every available guard stationed here today, sir." The guard previously spoken to assured as the group (minus Sharpe and the guard) stepped onto a small elevator. As it took them down, Oscar could just make out Sharpe's reply.

"I hope it's enough, Officer North. For your sake." Oscar frowned at the comment but continued walking with the rest. "Joker is our most challenging patient. Curing him will cement my reputation. Inform Dr. Young her patient…" By that point, he was too far way to hear properly. Along the way, Ozpin's voice spoke up again.

 _Sharpe… ah, now I remember reading about him in an article. He was already an active politician during my time, looking for support. If I were to guess, he may have renovated this institute and was appointed its warden as a PR move. An unusual strategy to become mayor, but, well, not the strangest plan I've heard of._ "Look at all this security. How's a guy supposed to break out of here?"

 _How do you know he built this place back up?_ An electronic voice broadcasted, " _New patient in the Intensive Treatment lobby. All non-essential staff vacate the area."_

_How else could someone like him become a warden for an asylum specializing in criminally insane? From his behavior, I doubt he is a pioneer in neurological science or the like._

_Good point._ Oscar then briefly looked up to Batman as Joker and the guards around him walked into a small metal tunnel. Batman followed them, eyes never leaving his enemy, so Oscar followed too, albeit more nervously.

"It's always nice to return to my sweet little ha-ha-hacienda." Joker giggled as steam wafted over the group before they entered a section where scanners surrounded them. Outside, Oscar could hear a deep voice say, "Tunnel's full. Start the scan."

"Scan initializing." And a ring of devices swept over them, light-blue light emanating from them as they shifted position.

"Y'know what?" the lunatic began, "I preferred the good ole cavity search. Much more personal." Suddenly, the scanners flashed red and a beeping started.

"Got a red light! Multiple prohibited items."

"I want Joker searched again!" The deep one ordered.

"Errr, it's not the patient. It's, err…" And Oscar couldn't help but look at Batman eyebrow raised despite the tension.

Joker, having come to the same conclusion, taunted, "Ooohh, watcha sneak in with you, Bats? C'mon, tell me, tell me! Batarangs, Batclaws? Ooh, Bat-snacks?" He then fixed on Oscar. "Or maybe our lil' leprechaun's hidden a pot o' gold on him somewhere? Guess that coat of yours is bigger than it looks!"

"Scan's green on Joker."

"Open the gate. Get him out of there!" The gate in front lowered into the ground, and as they moved out of the tunnel, a dark-skinned man (with a hook for a hand, Oscar noticed) ordered in the deep voice he'd heard during the scan. "I want weapons trained on him at all times. Do not let him out of your sight." Oscar was a bit impressed, though; the hook didn't seem to hamper the guy from holding his rifle, and he didn't look scared. Cautious, but not scared.

"There'll be time enough for you later, Cash…" Joker told the guard in a darker tone than before. "Speaking of which, tick tock tick tock… is that a crocodile I hear?" Cash only growled as the crazed man was led away laughing.

Despite his rising anxiety over the whole thing, Oscar for his part was confused. _Crocodile? What, is this place an asylum or a zoo?!_ He thought in light exasperation as they walked through an automatically opening door on the right; they also passed a dark-haired woman wearing a medical coat with a clipboard retreating behind a pair of guards. She looked more than just a little nervous; then again, she was probably scared of Joker.

 _I only met one "crocodile" while here, and it wasn't a friendly encounter._ Ozpin replied as the Joker leered at the nearby woman. "What's up, doc?" He said in a joking tone. "Pencil me in for tomorrow at four. We've got a lot of catching up to do." Neither one in Oscar's mind liked the shift in tone of that last part.

Nevertheless, the group continued onward, passing cells which had glowing bars in front that crackled with electricity. Large steel beams were fastened across the ceiling and to thick pillars that went to the floor. Old-fashioned prison bars made up most of the left wall. Screens mounted in upper corners started playing some sort of video of warden Sharpe, basically a "Welcome to Arkham Asylum" introduction.

Naturally, Joker started mocking it, "Oooh, it's my favorite show. 'I'm Warden Idiot, you'll never escape!'" even faking a stupid accent. At the same time, Oscar noticed guards escorting a group of men wearing what looked like prison fatigues on the other side of the bars. As soon as they saw Joker, they got excited and started shouting things.

"Hey look, it's Joker!" "Joker, Joker, Joker!" "Hear about Blackgate, boss?" "Shaddup!" "See you soon, boss!"

Oscar eyed them apprehensively in the midst of all this and finally asked Batman, "Who are they?"

"Some of Joker's goons, temporarily transferred here from Blackgate."

Ozpin spoke up at that. _Blackgate was a state penitentiary, supposedly the most secure in Gotham._

_Supposedly?_

_The warden and guards there had been taking bribes, and as for security, the first time Batman captured Joker, he was sent to Blackgate. Less than two hours later, a riot broke out and Batman needed to stop him again._

_I'm guessing you helped him both times._

_Only a little._ Having watched them get led away, Joker took on a mockingly concerned tone for his next words. "I'm telling you, the state of the wiring in these federal facilities is shocking. My boys over there could've been hurt in that… unfortunate fire." Oscar perked up at that. Fire? At a prison? Right before their boss was caught? No way that was a coincidence. _Nothing's ever simple with the Joker,_ Ozpin agreed darkly.

Just before they reached the end of the hallway, the convoy briefly stopped by a bearded man in green scrubs. "Just gotta check your prisoner, Officer Boles." He explained in a matter-of-fact way.

"Whatever, just be quick!"

"Only following procedure," the medic said apologetically as he stepped closer to the stretcher, clipboard at the ready. While the Joker stayed still and (for once) quiet, he examined the criminal's body, murmuring, "Patient seems to be in satisfactory condition. Looks like he suffered minor lacerations, probably in the last two hours. There seems to be…" only for Joker to suddenly shout, "BOO!" causing the medic, Oscar, the guards and Boles to jump back. Only Batman remained unfazed, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder to steady him.

The mad clown roared with laughter at his little prank. "Need to take my temperature? I'd be happy to drop my pants." Bile rose in Oscar's stomach at that charming thought.

The medic, trying to regain his composure, said angrily, "He's all yours. Get him out of here." And with a wave dismissing them, the door electronically opened, letting the Joker be wheeled through. Following him, Oscar found himself with Batman and the guards in a much wider room with more cells on the right and steel beams crisscrossing a good part of the room. It almost looked like a shelter for Grimm attack that Oscar had once visited. More armored guards were already there, training their rifles on the big elevator in front of them.

" _Alert in Intensive Treatment."_ The broadcasting voice announced. " _Category 9 Patient in transit. Pacification system active. Shoot-to-kill permission granted._ " The teen was shocked yet again. Pacification sounded reasonable enough, but shoot-to-kill permission? What kind of inmate was being moved here? Even Oz didn't seem to know. At first.

"You heard the lady! We've got another psycho on the way." said the guard in the lead as an elevator could be heard coming up. Sparks were flying from the wheels due to the weight of its occupant. A low growling could be heard.

"Can you smell the excitement in the air? No? Huh, must've been one of the guards, then." Joker rambled before promptly twisting his back as far to the left as he could in his restraints. "Croc Ol' Boy! Is that you?"

 _Croc?_ Ozpin sounded a bit nervous as they saw the elevator lock into position, its doors open, and the very big passenger duck its head to step out. _Ah. I'm seeing quite a few familiar faces now. Sadly, this is not a friendly one._ Oscar could only stare in horror as he took in the full sight of the creature stomping into full view. Floodlights activating helped him better see its features. Unfortunately.

"Get ready!" one guard said, priming his gun. "Keep your weapons trained on it at all times!" Another commented on how angry it looked.

It looked like a cross between a big man and a crocodile, standing just under 11 feet tall and bulging with muscles. Both the monster's hands and webbed feet ended in talons that looked as sharp as the rows of jagged teeth that its mouth showed. Green scales covered every part of his bare-chested body, while the only clothing it wore was a pair of oversized prison pants, thick chains wrapped around its wrists, and a blue-glowing collar, with another chain hanging off it, around its neck. Oscar couldn't think of a single Faunus that looked nearly as scary as this thing (deep down, a part of him was secretly glad that Blake wasn't here to take offense at the thought). Even some of the Grimm looked cuddly in comparison.

It rose to its full height and started sniffing the air for a second before noticing Batman in the room. Somebody wondered what it was doing when the beast turned to fully face them, yellow eyes full of hatred, and worse, hunger…

And spoke.

" **I've got your scent, Batman** ," a voice more akin to that of a monster than a man or even an animal growled. " **I will hunt you down.** "

"Fire up the collar! Get that animal under control!" The collar sparked with electricity, forcing the thing to twitch and instinctively reach for its neck while rumbling in pain. After a moment, the machine shut off. "Get him out of here! NOW!"

" **A toy collar won't stop me from killing you, Batman.** " It warned the hero as it reluctantly trudged towards the door on its right. " **I'll rip you apart. Eat your bones.** "

But then it stopped and sniffed the air again. It almost sounded surprised when it said, " **Wait. I know that smell. It's faint, but…** **he's** **here?!** " The beast reared back and released a primal roar that shook the room. " **THAT GREEN BASTARD IS HERE?! WHERE IS HE?** "It rounded, eyes blazing, back towards Batman and Oscar, the former standing protectively in front of the petrified latter. " **WHERE ARE YOU HIDING HIM, BATMAN?!** **I'LL FEAST ON HIS INSIDES AND PICK MY TEETH WITH HIS DAMN CA-** " The collar activating again cut off its tirade and forced it to walk through the door, growling all the while. Both the guards and Oscar stood in frightened shock for a while at the outburst, before the guards rallied themselves and hurried after it.

Only Batman and the Joker seemed unfazed. Joker simply giggled, "That reminds me; I really need to me some new shoes." wiggling his feet for emphasis. He then turned to a still frozen Oscar. "What about you, kiddo? A second coat made of leather can only improve your image!" The boy was still too numb from the ordeal to answer as Joker's escort moved him towards the elevator. A gentle squeeze on his shoulder made him look up to see Batman watching him with a hint of concern.

"Are you all right?" Oscar took a moment before nodding, then they slowly walked together to join the others. On the way, Batman explained, "His birth name is Waylon Jones, but most refer to him as Killer Croc. He was born with a rare genetic disease that manifested in making look more reptilian over the course of his life."

Oscar briefly asked, "S-so, he wasn't always like… that?" The older man shook his head.

"Bullied by others, Jones turned to crime as a hired thug before succumbing to his instincts. He's been arrested for multiple counts of murder and cannibalism." Noticing Oscar look a little sick at the last part, he added, "They know how to deal with him here."

The young mage nodded in thanks for the indirect assurance, and his predecessor's voice took over. _He looked and acted slightly less bestial when we first met on Blackgate's roof. Though I was forced to crack some of his ribs -and dislocate an arm- when he tried to bite off my head._ The memory briefly popped up, then faded away again.

"You don't suppose he's holding a grudge?" Oscar sarcastically whispered, earning him a mental laugh and relaxing some of the tension. Not noticing Batman had heard him, he kept whispering, "But why did he think you were here?"

_It must've been my cane; I've held it for so long it's bound to still carry a trace of my scent. Croc's animalism increased his sense of smell, so it wouldn't be impossible for him to notice._

By this time, they were all in the elevator, and the door slid into place behind the two. A man outside shouted, "Hold tight!" and they began descending.

Joker was still in good spirits. "Whee! Great night for a party!" He excitedly said, moving his head this way and that.

"Not where you're going." Batman by contrast was calm and still as a statue.

But the clown simply laughed. "The night is young, Bats. I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. I mean, don't you think it's a little bit funny how a fire at Blackgate caused hundreds of my crew to be moved here?" More giggles added to Oscar's worry. This man was planning something; he knew it, Oz knew it, and they were both sure Batman knew it.

"I thought I told you to stay quiet!" Boles interjected, disrupting their thoughts.

"Oh, Frankie," the Joker replied in a snarl with little humor, "You should really learn to keep that fat mouth of yours shut. It'll get you into trouble."

"Tell me something," Batman continued undaunted, "You've never let me catch you this easily. ( _Holding a city mayor hostage is easy?!_ thought Oscar) What are you really after?"

"Oh, nothing much. Hundreds dying in pain and fear. All their meaningless lives brought to a horrifying conclusion. All thanks to you and a book of matches. Was that the answer you wanted?"

Oscar couldn't stop himself. "What kind of monster are you?" He asked in disgust, just as the screen on the elevator's wall started playing another recording of Sharpe related to the Blackgate arrivals.

Joker turned his attention to the boy, his grin turning predatory. "Oh, you shouldn't use such language in public. And for the record, betcha your opinion of me would change," he leaned as far as his restraints would let him, making Oscar making back away, "If we got to know each other. Why, I'm starting to think you've got a few secrets of your own dancing around in that tiny head. Maybe we should take a closer look." Then the power in the cell went out, including the lights, and Joker laughed again. Pressing himself against the bars behind him, Oscar instinctively reached for the Long Memory, only to remember Batman had it.

"What's he doin'?" "Stay where you are!" "Get a flashlight! Get a light on him!" The guards were panicking, too, and then Joker's laughter turned to choked gurgling. Oscar fought down his panic with Ozpin's encouragement and settled into alertness just as the lights came back on for him to see Batman keeping a tight grip on the situation; and around Joker's throat. He hadn't even noticed the Dark Knight move from his spot.

The elevator started up again, the recording picked up where it had left off, and everything else seemed in order. The guards relaxed as well. "What?" Joker gasped through his choked throat. "Don't you trust me?" Batman simply forced his head back against the bed and briefly turned to Oscar, a question in his eyes. Oscar nodding that he was okay (and mentally assuring Oz as well) was enough for him to focus back on the crazed killer.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors that led forward opened. "Our 'guest' has arrived," a guard on the outside announced as he was wheeled out. The speakers stated, "Intensive Treatment lower floors are now at Level Red Alpha."

The new guard walked alongside Oscar and Batman glaring at his "guest". "So you're back," he said. "You killed three of my crew when you busted outta here."

"Only three?" Joker laughed. "I'll be sure to try harder next time. What say we aim for a hundred!" Oscar wasn't sure what he felt more: sympathy for the guard, or disgust at this man.

 _Who says it needs to be either or?_ Ozpin said, clearly not happy himself. But at the end, they simply continued at the same pace onward, through the corridors, passing cells left and right until a desk on the left came into view. It was overflowing with stacks of paper, and another man in a waistcoat, dark pants, and a shoulder holster was writing something on a pad before turning around to see them. His face was covered in wrinkles and wearing square-rimmed glasses, and his hair was almost completely grey with flecks of red here and there, but he looked to be a kind, honest man. Ozpin's spirits lifted upon seeing him. _Gordon… he looks as if he's aged at least a decade, but I never forget a face. And this is one that I'm happy to see._

 _You make him sound like a good friend._ Oscar thought, smiling in greeting at the man as the guards moved to hand over Joker. Gordon returned it before finishing his paperwork.

_We weren't at first, but that was mostly due to circumstances. James Gordon was a rare breed; a completely honest policeman in a time when the GCPD was corrupt to the core. He already had a trying time with both lawbreakers and co-workers, and frankly, no law enforcement enjoys having to deal with vigilantism. But I shouldn't be surprised he rose to Commissioner. He was wasted as a mere detective captain._

Batman had meanwhile walked over to the commissioner. "Long night, Jim?" He asked lightly teasingly.

Gordon barked a laugh while meeting the hero halfway. The two shook hands as Gordon listed off, "Joker invades City Hall and holds the Mayor hostage, leaving it to me to juggle SWAT teams, the media, and you. Yeah, it's been a helluva night."

"Hopefully the last one we'll ever have with him." The two followed the guards and Joker, Oscar in turn followed the two. They both slowed down a bit to let him walk between them.

"So, your name's Oscar, right?" Gordon asked him with a welcoming smile as he caught up. He then laughed. "Officer Richards told me about how he thinks you took down a half-dozen of Penguin's thugs all by yourself."

Oscar blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "S-sorry, I heard you don't appreciate vigilante acts that much. I-I was just defending myself."

"Ha! I can count on one hand the number of times someone apologized for doing a stunt like that. A nice change. You could learn a thing from him, Batman." The addressed merely grunted. "But seeing as you didn't deny it, looks like Richards didn't knock back too many shots for once. Good guy, but a drinker." Gordon shook his head but didn't lose the smile. Instead, he turned to Batman. "I take it he's not the next Robin?"

Batman simply shook his head and said quietly, "Joker first. Then Oscar."

The bed was brought to a halt before one final guard and a doctor standing in front of an electric gate. As the Joker was unlatched from the bed, the guard held up a hand. "Hold it right there! Sorry, Batman, Arkham staff only."

James spoke up in defense ( _a welcome change from their previous dynamic,_ Oz noted), "I assure you, if anyone's qualified, it's…"

"L-listen, I appreciate the assistance," the guard hastily explained, "but he'll unsettle the more violent inmates."

Passing them now in handcuffs, Joker cackled in Batman's face while Boles pulled him along. "I think he's talking about you, Bats! Or maybe your new sidekick!" He continued taunting as the gate powered down and the guard and doctor forced him to move. "Don't be a stranger. You're always welcome here. Gotta say, it's to be back!"

As they watched him get dragged laughing away, Gordon asked Batman, "You okay?"

"He surrendered almost without a fight. I don't like it."

"At least he's back where he belongs." The three moved to the observation window, Gordon gesturing to Oscar. "So what's your story?"

Batman simply pulled out Oscar's cane, and Gordon froze at the sight of it. After a moment of stunned silence, he took it and slowly turned it every different way, just like the caped man had done when he first saw it. Batman focused on the Joker below as Gordon continued. Squeezing the lever, he jumped a bit when the stick part fully extended, then examined that as well. "Oz…" The old lawman whispered before releasing a small chuckle. "He once pointed this thing at me tip-first. No way I'd forget it."

 _To be fair,_ Ozpin mock-protested (not that anyone but Oscar could hear it), _you_ _were pointing a loaded gun at me, James._ Oscar couldn't stop the snort and apologized embarrassed when the two looked at him.

Turning back to the Long Memory, Gordon squeezed the lever again, letting it collapse into the handle. "If it's a fake, I'll quit smoking. Where'd you find it?" he finally asked.

"Oscar had it when your officers met him." Batman answered as the two men focused on the boy before them. Oscar fidgeted at the attention but managed to return their gazes. "This cane," he began, "belonged to someone who helped both of us a long time ago. He convinced us to work together to stop that madman I brought in tonight. In fact, if it weren't for him, neither of us would still be alive.

"Oscar, what do you kn- "before a cry from the hall interrupted him and caught all their attention. In a flash, Batman was back at the window.

Joker had wrapped his handcuffs around the guard's neck and was strangling him. "Hurry, we're losing him, doc!" As the doctor ran over to unlock the cuffs in a desperate attempt to save his colleague's life, Batman quickly told Gordon, "Joker's loose! Alert the warden!" before punching the observation glass hard enough to punch it. He then took a few steps back, but Oscar saw it was too late; the clown's bonds were unlocked, and he tossed aside the guard's limp body and kicked the doctor to the ground. Taking a moment to bend over the guard and whisper something in his ear, he then did a little dance in the room, laughing all the while, before pointing at the door leading further into the asylum and looking up at a camera. Joker's next words were in singsong. "Honey, I'm home." And the electric gate shut down. _He has an accomplice!_ Oscar realized as Batman leaped against the glass, shattering it, and landed in the room a split-second after Joker ran through the gate. The barrier returned, preventing the caped man from following him.

"Welcome to the madhouse, Batman!" the Joker pronounced spreading his arms. "I set a trap, and you sprang it gloriously!" More cells unlocked, and five thugs circled Batman. "Now, let's get this party started." Shocked by everything that had transpired in the last few seconds, Oscar could only stare at first. Then he felt a psychic nudge.

 _Oscar,_ Oz' voice echoed in his head. _I won't take control. What do you want to do?_ After another look around, Oscar saw his cane still in the commissioner's hands and made his decision.

The perp in front of Batman went for a right hook, but took a straight punch to the face, leaving him stumbling back as his target whirled around to roundhouse-kick another to his left. Batman jabbed twice in a third's gut before knocking him to the floor with an uppercut.

Meanwhile, " _Ladies and maniacs,_ " Joker broadcast his voice over the intercom while watching from an observation box, " _I apologize for this interruption to your regular entertainment. Up until a few seconds ago, I was going to kill everyone in the room and then watch cartoons, but then… well… you know how I do love a captive audience._ "

Batman grabbed the leg of a moron kicking at him and brought his elbow down on it hard. A nasty _crack!_ was heard as the thug fell screaming and clutching his leg in pain. Batman then flipped over another charging him and, upon landing, kicked him in the back. While the goon sprawled on the ground, Batman beat down a friend of his with a flurry of punches before jumping on him before he could get up. Straddling him, a punch to the back of the skull was all that was needed to send him into unconsciousness.

The final thug had gone for the downed guard's baton and activated it, letting electricity dance around its tip. Just as Batman was reaching for a batarang, something small and green tackled the thug, making him lose his grip on the baton. Oscar rolled to his feet and swung two-handed with the Long Memory fully extended, smacking it into the bigger man's cheek and making him fall spinning to the floor.

The teen took a moment to check he was down, then turned to see the Batman watching him, batarang ready to be thrown. " _Oohoho, Greenlee's got spunk!_ " Joker cackled from his perch before changing to a thoughtful tone. " _Gotta say though, that stick looks familiar… anyways, I'm just warming you two up, Bats._ " More guards ran into the room, fists up and eager for a fight. " _Fresh from Blackgate Correctional Facility, with a consecutive sentence of 923 years; ding ding ding ding ding! It's rooound two!_ " Calmly appraising his foes, Batman shot a look at Oscar gently leading the terrified doctor, who'd just regained consciousness, to a corner for protection. The two traded nods, then waded into the masses.

Batman hurled the batarang he'd been holding at a thug's head, making him stumble into another. He then dodged one goon's swing and drove his elbow into another before kicking off them and doing a flying kick into a third. As that one fells backwards, he swung his cape into a nearby thug, disorienting him, before knocking him out with three rapid punches. As the one on the floor made a grab for him, the Dark Knight grabbed his wrist, twisted a leg around the arm, and squeezed it, breaking it. Releasing the arm, he spared a brief glance at Oscar before confronting two more; it didn't look like he needed to intervene.

The kid was making full use of his short height to evade his attackers' swings. Ducking under a clumsy punch, he jabbed his cane upwards, hitting the thug's left shoulder and pushing him off-balance. Oscar then swung at the ribs of the one behind him, but that one was ready and managed to grab the cane. He then pulled onto it, only for Oscar ( _Legs in and then out!_ Oz warned) to tuck in both legs and kick out. The brute hit the floor, loosing his grip, and Oscar stopped his own fall with one hand. He swung the other holding his cane in a low arc, sweeping the legs of two others out from under them. Back on his feet, Oscar smacked both in the heads with his weapon to keep them down.

" _Sorry, Bats, gotta run! I've got places to go, and people to slay!_ " Joker taunted over the intercom as Batman punched out another thug. He then rolled backwards and kicked hard at the last thug who was reaching for Oscar's neck. That one crashed into an active electric gate and was zapped into unconsciousness. Catching his breath, Oscar looked around, but he and Batman were the only ones standing, and no new enemies were pouring in; _a brief reprieve_ , Ozpin noted. Oscar nodded in agreement and went to check on the doctor.

"Are you hurt?" The doctor shook his head, but still looked worried. Oscar scanned the room for any kind of place he could be safe, but the way to Gordon was still barred.

" _The system's jammed!_ " The commissioner reported his frustrations over the screen. " _We're stuck in here. Joker's in full control of the security gates."_

Batman remained calm as ever, while motioning for Oscar and the doctor to walk over. "We'll find a way out. Gordon, try and contact the warden. Let him know what's happened." He then braced his back against the wall under the shattered window and cupped his hands together. "Climb on." The doctor hesitantly did as he was told, stepping onto Batman's hands and pushing himself up onto his shoulders while Oscar braced him from behind. Gordon and another from above grabbed the man's outstretched arms and gently pulled him up, mindful of broken shards.

As soon as he was safe, the older man motioned for Oscar who shook his head after a moment of hesitation. "We don't have time to waste, do we?" he explained. "Joker needs to be stopped, and you saw I can take care of myself. Please," he held out a hand. "let me help."

Batman looked him in the eyes, probably searching for doubt, then clasped his hand and nodded. "Alright." For a second, the teen thought he could see a smirk, then it was gone. Both moved to where they could see Gordon on the screen. "We'll be back."

Then the screen flashed to show Joker running through the asylum's corridors before he stopped and pointed straight at the camera. " _Don't make promises you can't keep, Bats!_ " he taunted. " _I'_ _m in control of the asylum. You and the runt aren't going anywhere I don't want you to. Understand?"_

"If you think I'll let you run..." Batman began.

" _Blah, blah, blah! Always with the hero speak! Trying to impress the kiddies following you? Feeling inspired, Greenlee? He's always liked corrupting minds at a young age."_ Batman's fists clenched at that. _"Oh, who cares, I'm getting bored watching you two. Why don't you just come find me?_ " And with that, the screen shifted to its basic Arkham logo, and the gate leading into Intensive Treatment deactivated.

" _You know it's a trap._ " Gordon wasn't asking a question.

"Of course it is."/ _Of course it is,_ Batman and Ozpin said simultaneously. Oscar tried not to laugh as Batman looked down at him. "Do as I say and keep your eyes sharp." Oscar nodded in confirmation, and the two ventured combat-ready into Arkham Asylum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And off we go to Asylum-Town! Sorry if I'm a bit too descriptive, I'm trying to both acknowledge Batman Arkham Asylum's beauty with details and convey it through Oscar's perspective. Please let me know if I'm going overboard (but I reiterate: CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, PLEASE! No flames). I'll try to post on some regular schedule, but who knows what can happen!


	3. Chapter 2: A Glimpse Into Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Joker loose inside the asylum, Oscar now gets to see more of Gotham's criminally insane. Good thing he's not alone.

Alarms blared throughout the asylum with reports of sector breaches mixed in. As they moved through the halls of Intensive Treatment, Oscar felt nauseous at more than one lifeless guard or staff member strewn across the hallways. Batman snarled, "Everywhere that madman goes, death is sure to follow." A sentiment Ozpin echoed with equal bitterness.

 _Oz,_ Oscar hesitantly asked while inspecting an empty cell, _does Joker have any powers? I know you said he didn't have Aura, but-_

_From what I remember, he had no extraordinary abilities, aside from a cunning mind and unmatched capacity for cruelty. And if he had acquired any since our last confrontation, he'd have shown them off by now. Joker's always possessed a twisted flair for the dramatic._

The conversation was briefly suspended as a pair of grunts tried jumping the two. Batman jabbed at one's neck and kneed him in the stomach, sending him keeling over, while Oscar twisted the other's arm and spun him headfirst into the wall. A third that came around the corner and spotted them tried to call for help, but a dark shadow fell onto him and punched him into unconsciousness.

Looking up, Oscar saw a screen showing swarms of goons running through the corridors. Some had already painted on clown makeup and were beating down guards. More breaches of the asylum's sectors were announced through the speakers, and one particularly big thug that finally noticed the camera reached up… and all the screen showed afterwards was static. _This looks bad,_ Oscar thought with rising worry.

 _Yes,_ Ozpin agreed, _but it's not hopeless._

 _How can you be so confident? We just locked ourselves up in an asylum full of inmates and Joker's thugs on the loose._ Just then, the teen heard a call. "Batman, over here!" As the pair ran towards the voice, Oscar heard his mentor's answer.

 _Because these inmates, goons and Joker all just locked themselves up,_ Oscar then felt a light nudge to look at the man clad in cape and cowl leading him. _With_ _him_ _._ That statement was filled with such conviction that Oscar couldn't help but wonder who this man was that inspired such confidence in him. _Why tell you, my boy, when you can see for yourself?_

Up ahead, he could see a guard looking worried in front of a sealed door. Batman slowed down before they could reach him and signalled for Oscar to do the same. "Before anything else goes down," he began, "for the remainder of our time here, I'll address you as Sage. The officers that brought you and Gordon are the only others who know your real name, and it's better we keep it that way. Understand?"

Oscar thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sage. Got it," he replied, but still had to ask. "But why that one specifically?"

Batman turned around and simply said, "Ozpin told me about the naming conventions of your home. Fits your coat." He then briefly looked back with a curious look. "And the word has other meanings."

Oz chuckled as if he knew something, but when he made to ask, all the teen got was, _Priorities, Oscar. I'll tell you later._ Forcing down his exasperation, he focused on the guard who looked a bit more relieved now that Batman was there. "What happened?" he asked.

"Joker happened. You're lucky to be alive." Batman said bluntly.

"He must've gone this way! Door's jammed. I'll try and get it open." That's when his radio crackled to life.

" _We need help in Pacification. I repeat, we need backup in Pacification. Can anyone hear this?_ "

The guard tapped his radio. "Can you hear me? I'm with Batman. Hello?" When nothing came, he hit the radio a little harder. Still no acknowledgement. _Joker's associate may be causing interference,_ Ozpin speculated. _They'd want to keep the security disorganized._

"Where are they?" Batman asked, his demeanor unchanged.

The guard gave up on the radio and pointed behind them. "Back down there. Do you two need help?"

"No. I work better alone."

Oscar couldn't resist asking. "So if you work alone, what am I, then?"

"On trial." _Still slow to trust others, I see._ Ozpin noted while Oscar restrained himself from grumbling about these two. Despite the severity, the guard almost belted out a laugh from the look on his face. Priorities, he told himself just as the radio spoke up again.

" _Zsasz is free! Oh, God. He's got Mike!"_ A pained scream could be heard in the background.

The guard grabbed his radio and said, "Franklin, can you hear me? If you can, help's on the way." Sure enough, Batman and Sage were already running as fast as they could in the direction the guard had indicated. While on the move, Oscar's thoughts raced as well.

"Who's this… Zazz guy?" he asked out loud as a question to both of his companions.

"Victor Zsasz," Batman explained as they sped past a desk that had been knocked aside. A large rat scurried by. "Lost his parents at a young age and inherited a massive fortune, but couldn't cope with their absence, so he turned to gambling. After losing all of his money, he became a serial killer under the idea that killing other people would 'liberate' them from the mundanity of life. Took me a while to catch him because he chose his targets at random, without any real pattern."

Oscar stared at him. "And… the reason he's in the asylum is because he was considered criminally insane?" he ascertained unsteadily. A nod of confirmation.

_Good work piecing that together, Oscar._

_My aunt had one or two horror stories on her shelf, and against my better judgement, I read one that had a similar plot._ The teen shuddered at the memory. _It didn't have a happy ending._

 _Maybe not, but this one might._ Oscar's spirits lifted while Batman suddenly slowed and pulled something out of one of his pouches. Showing it to his new partner-on-trial, it looked like an ear communicator. "This can help us coordinate if we're separated." Oscar nodded and replaced the one he'd already had in his right ear. _Almost forgot that was there,_ he mused with a bit of sadness remembering the last message he'd sent on it. Once affixed, Batman put a finger to his cowl. "Oracle, can you hear me?"

" _Loud and clear."_ A young woman's voice replied. " _And it looks like you've made a new friend. Miracles do happen, don't they?"_ The kid couldn't stop himself from laughing; the tone in this woman's voice, and the grunt Batman made! Quickly sobering up as the man focused on him, she turned serious as well. " _Jokes aside, call me Oracle. I'm basically tech support for our operation. And you?"_

"J-just a guy that got mixed up in this craziness." Oscar answered somewhat truthfully. "It's Oscar, but Batman calls me Sage."

" _Judging by your coat, it fits,_ " Oracle observed and then explained before he could ask, " _I can see through Batman's cowl with his confirmation. Useful for coordinating. So what's so special about you?_ "

Ozpin was humming in thought all the while, _I'm positive I know that voice,_ while Batman interjected. "Sage volunteered to help, and you'll see what he's capable of. For now, we've got a situation." They then walked towards another automatic door that opened immediately.

" _Gotcha. What's up?_ "

"Joker's escaped custody. He's running free in Arkham."

" _Do you need anything?_ " Oracle's tone became slightly more anxious. "… _Is my dad still there?_ " Oscar perked up in concern over the question.

" _Commissioner Gordon is safe. Joker's not far ahead. I'll stay in contact._ " And with that, the conversation ended, and as they headed on, Oscar heard a nostalgic chuckle in the back of his mind.

_Barbara Gordon… she always was quite savvy with computers. And just as strong a believer in justice as her father, if not so much in the law._

_So, the commissioner doesn't know about her acting as mission control for Gotham's cape-wearing defender in the night?_

_One: I take it you enjoyed that action-packed excuse for a spy movie you watched with Jaune and Weiss. Two: No, I dare say not. Poor James would probably be climbing the rooftops of Gotham himself if he knew what she was up to. He is a good father, but rather overprotective._

Oscar briefly remembered conversations with Ruby, Yang and Blake and them comparing the levels of overprotectiveness on paternal figures in their lives before focusing; he could hear screams and shouts from up ahead, and two guards were looking to their right past something bright ( _Rhyme unintentional_ ).Their postures indicated heavy worry. One of them shouted, "Let him go, you'll only get into more trouble if you continue!"

A dark-skinned guard noticed the pair as they reached him. As the other looked through the security gate, he hurriedly explained, "Thank God! It's Zsasz. He's got Mike. He's strapped in the chair. Zsasz has totally lost it!"

"Wait here."

"You can't. He'll kill Mike if he sees anyone trying to get too close." Oscar peered through the electricity to see the poor guard strapped down in some chair that had wires attached. Behind him was another man, bald and his bare chest covered all over in tally marks. He held a device in his right hand and a disturbing look in his eyes.

"I see anything that looks even a little bit like a bat, and this guard dies. DO YOU HEAR ME?" The guy called out to them before activating the chair. Sparks flew as the guard cried out, and he cackled at the display. Sage tore his sight away and looked toward his new partner who didn't seem worried; only determined.

"He won't see me." _Yep, definitely determined._ He then led Sage into the next room, up a flight of stairs, and into some sort of equipment center. Wall computers, desks, and pieces of technology he didn't recognize were on full display, and further down, he could see a balcony, most likely overlooking the room where Zsasz was currently holding the guard. A few old-fashioned gargoyles were built parallel to each other just below the ceiling.

An elderly woman clad in a doctor's suit turned away from her keyboard to address Batman. Her name tag read, 'Dr. Gretchen Whistler.' Ignoring the pang of guilt from Oz remembering his enemy, Hazel Rainart, and the man's rage over the loss of his sister, Oscar listened to the conversation.

"This is disgraceful. How did a patient like Victor get free?" Dr. Whistler asked in an accent he had never heard before.

"We'll worry about that later, Doctor."

"He wants to kill the guard, you know. He needs to kill the guard." Forcing down a shudder at the last sentence, Oscar followed the vigilante to the balcony where two guards were looking down.

One pleaded to him. "Zsasz has got my buddy. He's gonna fry him! Do something. Please!"

"Keep him occupied. I need to get behind him." The two then walked to the right of the balcony where Batman explained. "We've got to get close enough to Zsasz to strike." He motioned toward the closest gargoyle. "These old gargoyles should support our weight if we grapple up to them. Hold on." He wrapped an arm around the boy's chest and pulled out a grapple gun, firing it at the gargoyle. The hook easily pierced the rock and held, pulling the two up, and Batman mounted it while removing his grapple in one fluid motion. He then shot it toward the ceiling and swung himself and Oscar from one gargoyle to another to the third. Finally, they were overlooking Zsasz, his back to them as he taunted the guards. Oscar could only marvel at how swift and quietly they had managed to reach this spot before Batman whispered to him. "Hold onto my back while I glide down there. As soon as Zsasz hits the ground, go for the trigger. I'll make sure he stays down." Sage nodded and carefully circled behind him, wrapping his arms around the bigger man's neck. Once he was secure, Batman jumped off and spread his cape, gliding silently towards the madman like a bat before kicking out with both legs.

Zsasz went tumbling head-over-heels, the trigger flying out of his heads. As Batman touched the ground, Sage sprang off his back and brought his foot down hard on the device, shattering it. The Dark Knight in turn straddled the killer and knocked him out with one good punch. He then got back up and said loudly, "Someone put this animal back in his cell." His partner found the controls for the gate and shut it off, letting the guards rush in to free their friend and lock up Zsasz.

One ran up to him and said, "Thanks, kid. I don't think Mike could've held out much longer."

Oscar smiled shyly back. "Glad to help." He then joined Batman, who was standing in front of an array of screens activated just then. First static, then they started to see a picture of- Oscar blushed and looked away from the frilly and revealing dress (a nurse's outfit) the sideways woman was wearing. _Th-this night just keeps throwing insane things my way!_ he complained while trying to avoid staring at… anything. At least Ozpin was helping to calm him down, and he was really glad Yang and Nora weren't here to tease him.

" _Can ya hear me?_ " The blonde said while fiddling around with the camera. " _Is this thing on?_ " Finally, she righted the picture and took a few steps back, allowing them to get a better look at her full body (Oscar wasn't really sure whether to be relieved or more distressed). _Oscar, her right hand._ Oz noted; sure enough, she was holding Sharpe's cane. " _Oh hiya, B-Man! Harley Quinn here. Awww, and you've picked up a new sidekick._ " She then gave a little twirl to show off her outfit. " _How do ya'll like my new uniform? Pretty hot, right?_ " His whole face flushing red now, the poor boy backed away even more from the screen. " _Oh, sorry, kiddo! PG-13, am I right?_ "Oscar resisted the usual urge to say he was actually 14. " _Oh, but just look at him, he's so cuuuute! I just wanna pinch those brown lil' cheeks of his._ " The funny thing was, she actually had very little malevolence in those last few sentences. Batman then (thankfully) stepped between them. " _But getting back on track, I've got something to show you._ " She headed for her right, only to briefly dart back, " _One second, B-Man,_ " then, " _Ta Da!_ " A battered and lightly bleeding Sharpe was rolled into view, bound and gagged with duct tape to an office chair. Batman's eyes narrowed at the sight while Oscar looked worried.

" _I'm now subbing for the old man_ ," Harley then started leaning onto his lap and ruffling his balding hair, " _Old Sharpie's never been happier._ " _Poor guy_ , Oscar thought in sympathy as she finally got off him and leaned forward onto the cane. " _In case y'aint figured it out, today's the Joker's big homecoming, and you're both the guests of honor._ "

"You have one chance to surrender, Quinn," Batman growled.

" _Tempting, Bats, but no dice,_ " Harley refused cheekily while playing around with her cane. " _Now the inmates are running the asylum. Well, technically, they're Joker's goons shipped in from Blackgate, but you two get the idea. Stay safe, lil guy, and bye-bye for now!_ " She then swung with a grunt the cane tip-first at the camera, cutting off the feed and finally giving Oscar a chance to breathe in relief. Dealing with that kind of criminal probably wouldn't cure him of his social awkwardness. _I think I've seen her before…_ Ozpin wondered. _Perhaps at Blackgate?_

Batman turned to him and calmly said, "Quinn is insane, but she restrains herself around children and animals. Stay calm, but on guard around her." Oscar gave him a grateful nod as their coms pinged.

" _Batman, you picking this up?_ " Oracle asked.

"Oracle, we're here."

" _Arkham Asylum just vanished off the network!_ "

"He's in control of the system. He's probably isolated it from the grid." _Meaning that the staff cannot call for help, and the outside can neither shut off his control over the island nor ascertain the situation._ Ozpin told his successor.

" _That's not all he's done. All police feeds are reporting he's placed bombs all over Gotham. Says he'll detonate them if anyone sets foot on Arkham Island. It's being suppressed at the moment, but the story will break any time now._ "

"He's lying," Batman said confidently. "It's just a diversion to keep people away."

"H-how do you know?" Oscar asked which Oracle echoed.

"I know him." With that, Oracle signed off, and the pair heard that a new problem had presented itself.

"The room's locked down!" One guard close to a security gate called out. "I can't open the gate. We're stuck in here!"

"Try the radio. Control should be able to shut down the gate!" Processing all this, Sage looked to Batman.

"Harley probably wants to keep us locked in this chamber."

Batman simply walked over to a ventilation duct in the wall. "She never was very bright." He then crouched down, grabbed the grate with both hands, and with a few firm tugs, pulled it off and set it down nearby. Turning to his partner, he said, "Follow me," and climbed into the vent, the smaller boy right after him. _Heh, you'll have an easier time with the vents than I did._

"He got out! Batman and the kid found a way out!" While they crawled through the narrow spaces, Oscar briefly considered himself lucky he was never claustrophobic, then asked as quietly as he could:

"How are we going to find our way? These ducts must lead all over the asylum."

"They do, even though they're not all connected to each other. I downloaded the blueprints of the entire island to my cowl, not to mention all the times I've brought Joker and others here. I know where we are and most of where we need to go."

 _He's learned to take precautions better since we worked together, I see,_ Ozpin "said" with clear approval. _And I've noticed the refining of his combat and stealth skills. Impressive. You see, I met him when he had only been fighting crime for two years. While he already had completed years of training, actually applying these skills in the field isn't quite as simple as many would believe. I've sadly seen more than a few graduates of Beacon think they could fight every Grimm on the planet, only to quickly be cut down by a pack of Beowolves. But Batman has really come far._

_You know, you keep calling him Batman, but I'm pretty sure you know who he really is under the mask. I thought you said you'd run out of secrets, Oz, and sorry if I'm a little forceful, but I'm just tired of only knowing part of the truth._

_And I understand your frustration, Oscar, but_ _that_ _secret is one he trusted me with, and I owe it to him to keep it safe. He helped me all those years ago, too._ Confused, Oscar's thoughts were cut off by another call.

" _Batman, Sage, I'm patching you guys into the guard radio feed."_ Gunshots could be heard, and two voices were in a conversation.

" _Steve, more Blackgate prisoners. By the boiler!_ "

" _Who's that behind them? Oh my God… it's Joker! He's free! How'd he break out?!_ " Something loud like a shotgun burst rang out, then nothing.

"Oracle, what happened?" Sage asked concerned.

" _Sorry, feed's down. Comms are up and down like crazy._ " Oracle explained. " _It's not good. I'll keep trying._ " Meanwhile, Batman had kicked another grate off its hinges and jumped out of the vent. Following him, the young mage saw that they were in another hallway. For some reason, a couple of chattering teeth toys were rattling on the floor. More annoying than anything else. Batman and Sage broke them easily with Batarangs and cane strikes, then continued as they heard a new voice.

"Rrrgh, it's sealed. No way in or out. Dammit! They're trapped in there!" The two rushed over to see a guard looking through a window in the reinforced wall before him. A sign overhead read, "DECONTAMINATION."

" _Warning: Decontamination Room,_ " an automated voice broadcast. " _Toxins detected._ " Through the wall, coughs and, for some scary reason, laughter could be heard. Oscar could see guards writhing on the floor, holding their sides in laughter, and green vapors in the room. " _Warning: Decontamination Room. Area sealed._ " A thick panel slid over the window, blocking most of the horrible sight.

"What is that stuff?!"

"Joker Toxin!"/ _Joker Toxin!_ Batman and Ozpin realized simultaneously. "Listen! The room is filled with poison gas. Anyone caught in there is dead!"

"Are you gonna get in there and help them, Batman?" The guard pleaded, banging on the panel. "Please!" Batman grabbed onto Sage and grappled them upwards onto an overhead pass where another duct was. Tearing off the grate, they quickly slipped in.

 _Why were they laughing?_ Oscar wondered with fear.

 _That toxin was one of Joker's favorite methods of killing people. When inhaled, it causes the victim to start laughing uncontrollably as they choke to death. They then die with wide grins on their faces._ Stomach wrenching at the information, Oscar thought that this man was as evil as Salem. _No,_ Ozpin corrected him with anger, _He is far worse. And don't think for a second our former love is clouding my judgement. Everything Salem has done throughout her life was for one reason or another. The Joker doesn't_ _need_ _a reason for the chaos and death he brings. Oscar, do not underestimate him._

As Batman led them out of the duct and onto a platform high enough that they wouldn't be affected by the poison, Sage noted, "There's no way this is just an escape attempt."

"Joker's been planning this." Batman agreed while pulling up a nearby guard barely holding himself over the toxic cloud. "You're going to be fine. Stay here." The two then jumped to another ledge where Sage managed to get another guard to safety, his Aura granting him the necessary strength. "We're going after the animal who did this." Batman angrily reassured the guards as he scanned the room.

"Batman!" A guard called. "The extraction system! Steve was trying to get to the control panel at the other end of the room!" Nodding, Batman motioned the younger hero to stay put as he glided to another part. There, Oscar could just make out one of Joker's thugs hanging on for dear life. _Must've been left behind, and Joker didn't care if he'd get killed by the gas._ He saw Batman haul him to safety, then knock him out. _Eh, he helped set this up._ The Dark Knight then pulled out a batarang and threw it at a control panel in a nearby office. Right after the projectile hit its mark, the ventilation system activated, sucking in all the toxin from the room. A familiar chime, then the broadcast voice announced, " _Attention. Air purity is now at normal levels. Attention. Decontamination Room access is now permitted._ " But then, a familiar bout of laughter erupted from the speakers.

Sage and Batman quickly jumped down from their perches, the teen crushing some more chattering teeth upon landing, and sped towards the exit. Above, one of the guards whooped, "Go, Batman! Joker doesn't stand a chance!" However, Oscar's mood wasn't as cheerful as he'd hoped; the gas had been so thick it had covered up the bodies of those they'd been too late to save. Security and thugs alike were lying dead, all with horrible smiles spread across their faces. Kneeling by one, Oscar asked, "Was there anything we could've…" Batman sadly shook his head.

"We did what we could, Oscar." He replied softly, nodding up to the men climbing down only now. "At the least, they're safe, and we can make sure that these men get justice." He then put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on. We can't let him win."

Oscar looked at the corpses a little longer, then stood up, his face set in determination. "After you." Sage replied, motioning for the exit. Batman nodded, then they were already out of the Decontamination Room and into the Transfer Loop.

" _What are you waiting for? I'm so close you can almost taste me._ " Joker's jeering voice rippled across speakers while more thugs tried jumping them. Without a word, Sage drew his cane and battered one with a flurry of jabs as Batman flipped the other to the ground and broke his arm. Both noticed afterwards green pointers spray-painted on the floor leading to another route. _Trap?_ Oscar mentally asked as they followed the arrows.

 _Trap,_ Ozpin agreed as the two saw a door that had a big green, malicious smile painted onto it. Batman and his ally ran towards it, the door automatically opening to show another room, though unlike the others; this one seemed to hold a large set of steel doors in the back wall. A thick steel cable was strung high above their heads that fed past the doors into the next walls. _Some sort of horizontal lift, maybe, to carry mobile prisoner cells,_ Oz passively theorized.

And perched on one such cell, grinning down at them, was the Joker himself. He sauntered a bit closer to the approaching heroes. "What took you so long?" He giggled and exclaimed mockingly as both drew their weapons. Batman hurled a batarang straight at his mouth, only for the clown for duck his head away at the last second.

"There's no escape, Joker!" Batman warned as Sage held the Long Memory battle-ready. "I will find you."

"Oh, I'm counting on it! Just not yet." A stomp of his foot made the cage door unlatch and fall to the ground, and out came a misshapen, vaguely human-looking monster growling at them. Its right arm was three times larger than the left one, its left leg was twice as wide as the right under torn pants, and its eyes and some of its veins pulsed green. "Oh, he's a big one! To the kiddo, he might as well gigantic!" His laughter bounced throughout the room as the thing lumbered towards them.

Picking up a limp guard that was lying next to it, it hurled the body at the pair, forcing them to dive separate ways. Rolling to his feet, Sage saw the beast roar at Batman and charge; the vigilante calmly threw a batarang at its head, blinding it and making it crash headfirst into a wall. Seeing it was stunned, Sage sped over and joined Batman into battering it with attacks. Then the creature flung up its arms, forcing them to flip backwards in evasion. It then punched the ground, causing a small tremor, then stomped towards the smaller and weaker-looking target. Oscar ducked and darted to avoid the clumsy limbs and struck with his cane when he could. Batman jumped and kicked at its left shoulder blade, making it lurch forward. He then rapidly punched the creature on the right while Oscar's cane swept in from the left. In desperation, it swung hard with its giant hand in a wide arc; Batman was able to roll out of the way, but Oscar got clipped and bounced against the floor, his Aura flickering for a moment. As he tried to clear his head and get back up, the monster rose its fist again, only for a grapple to latch onto it and pull it backwards. Sage, noticing Batman straining to hold it back, lashed the Long Memory ( _Right!_ Oz advised) against its right leg, forcing it to bend, and the creature to fall to its right. As it barely supported itself, the teen moved in, peppering its chest with multiple jabs in the span of a few seconds while giving a defiant yell. Then, pulling the ancient weapon back and placing both hands on the grip, he thrust one more time to send it falling onto its back. Batman gave an impressed nod, Joker clapped his hands at the sight, and a panting Oscar could hear, _Excellent technique._

Roaring, the beast pushed itself up, angry and ready for round two, before it suddenly clutched its chest. Moaning and writhing in apparent pain, everyone present watched as its paws went to its head, a loud heartbeat could be heard growing faster, then with a pained grunt, its eyes went dull and it collapsed backwards onto the ground, dead.

"Well, that was unexpected, wasn't it?" Joker said with his trademark grin, before straightening up and mumbling with his hand to his forehead, "Oh well, note to self, need stronger test subjects." As Batman and Oscar exchanged curious glances, Joker looked back at them and moved closer to the edge of his perch. "Seeing as how I'm feeling generous, I'll give you guys this one for free." He then stopped right on the edge and spread his arms wide. "Knock me off!" Joker challenged them. "I dare you. End this, pull the plug, stop me once and for all!"

Oscar was hesitant; for one, he hadn't actually killed someone that wasn't a Grimm before, and this felt an awful lot like a trap. Batman on the other hand was actually winding back to throw a batarang, worrying the boy. He was about to call out when Oz spoke up. _Wait. Let's give him a chance._ The Dark Knight held it for another second, then with a grunt, lowered his arm. Oscar felt practically a sigh of relief and a feeling of pride from Oz.

Joker promptly started laughing again, resting his hands on his knees for support. "Oh, you're getting too predictable, Bats! Howzabout you, Greenlee? I know, first time's always the hardest, but I'll walk… you… through it…" His voice drifted off as he leaned closer to peer at what the boy was holding. "Hang on, I know that toy…" he then took a few steps back, scratching his chin, smile gone for once. "Batgirlie? No, not her style. One of the Boy Blunders? No, their sticks aren't that classy…"

And just like that, Joker froze. "Classy. Ozpin…" he breathed, then slowly started chuckling before the entire room shook with deranged laughter. "OZZY THAT OLE DOG!" He then pointed right at Sage making the boy take a surprised step back, face alight with a twisted blend of joy and rage. "Ozzy The Great and Terrible Pinhead! Tall man with bleached hair? Snazzy green suit? Specs that would make John Lennon swoon? Sounds like one of those stuffy Brits?" His voice shifted into an obviously fake accent at the last part before going back to normal. "And that stick was his. I have to give him credit, he's got style. Why, after the last time he beat me with that thing, I told myself I'd take it as a trophy, carve a nice little smile on the handle, and then paint its base red with the blood of orphaned babies."

Joker did a little twirl in excitement before snapping a finger at Batman who was crouching to jump. "Oh, don't think I've forgotten about you, Batsy! I've planned tonight for you, remember? So lemme just have a bonding moment with your newest sidekick." Joker then turned his attention back towards Oscar. "Anyways, you his brat or something? Ozzy junior? Not much of a resemblance, but you sure dance around like him! No wonder Leather Lips grew so excited back there!" The psycho-clown clapped his hands in delight and giggled. "Oh, and to think I would've settled for giving you a little smack on the ass with a hand grenade and be done with you! But now…" He leaned a bit closer. "Ohoho, now I'm going to make sure you and I can have a nice long chat. Really get to know each other so I can hear about how the Wonderful Wizard of Ozzy is doing." His smile was more akin to a snarl by now. "We have so much to catch up on; eight years' worth."

Initially scared, Sage then slowly but surely grew more resolved as his grip tightened on his cane. His mentor's voice encouraged him, let him know he wasn't alone. Looking Joker right back in the eye, Oscar said without a trace of fear, "Yeah, Ozpin's given me a message for you too, Joker. He said, 'I'll be waiting.' But truth be told, I've had it with taking crap for him. So consider yourself lucky if Batman or Oz get their hands on you."

Joker actually looked impressed as he settled back towards the giant chain. "This night's going to be even more fun than I could've hoped." As he laughed, the system started up and with a whir, the massive doors behind him opened. Slowly, the cage moved towards the opening, and Joker along with it. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have a party to organize. I've got guests flying in from all over Arkham. You'll see…" And with a final taunting chuckle, he fell from their sight as the doors slid shut after the cell.

Staring after their foe a while longer, Batman then turned to Oscar. "You were brave," He began, "not letting him get to you like that. But don't let it turn to overconfidence. Joker's grown even more dangerous over the years since Ozpin met him."

"I've noticed." Nodding, the farmboy-turned warrior noted, "You didn't kill him just now, because doing it like that wouldn't have been justice, right?" Batman nodded. "Then I know we're all on the same side." _And whatever happens, Oscar, I'll stand by you and help in any way I can,_ Ozpin promised him. "Thanks," Oscar said to both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter's shorter than the last one, I'm just trying to properly segment the story. But now, Oscar's got to watch his back a little more, what with Joker figuring out he's connected to Oz somehow. Poor, shy kid with teenage hormones having to deal with Harley, I'm trying not to be too cruel! Oh, this is going to get wild!


	4. Chapter 3: On The Trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon's been kidnapped, complicating the matter. But at the very least, Oscar gets to witness his new partner's detective skills. (Oh, and another whackjob wants to play riddles with them. Yay.)

Batman knelt by the body of the fallen creature, examining its characteristics. After a while, he stood up and turned to Sage. "What happened to it?" His new partner asked, rubbing his arm. "That last hit I gave it was meant to knock it out, not kill it."

"From what I can tell," Batman explained, "this thing was a human that was mutated into its current state. For now, I can only guess what turned him into that, but cause of death appears to be one massive heart attack. Its vitals were erratic during the fight, and it looks like its body couldn't handle the strain anymore, so it took the only option left."

Sage thought about all this, Oz mentally chiming in. _Joker mentioned that he'd have to look for stronger test subjects…_ At that, the teen looked at the older man. "What if part of why Joker's still here is because he's trying out some kind of crazy experiment? Something that could be a weapon?" Batman processed this thought for a second, then nodded in agreement.

Then they all heard a groan. "My head…" To the right was an office where the security gate blocked anyone from entering, and a guard inside on the ground was coming to. Noticing them, he supported himself on the control box for the gate and deactivated the system. "Quick! Get in here before more of them come." The two obliged, though Batman quickly ran into the adjacent office to briefly snatch something up; Oscar couldn't quite make it out, but it was curved and glowing green. As both walked up to him, the guard explained while rubbing the back of his neck, "They came out of nowhere! I dragged Jerry in here, powered up the gate. Must've passed out."

"Joker went through that door," Batman said. "What's on the other side?" _Must be a new sector to the asylum if he doesn't know it,_ Ozpin considered.

"We call it Extreme Isolation. Only way in is via the transport system."

"Open it!" Oscar winced at the forcefulness, but they all knew there wasn't time to waste, so he let it slide.

So did the guard. "Not a problem. I'll just need to call another cell." He then walked into the office towards a computer, "Ok," and started typing in commands. But after a while, he frowned. "Something's wrong here," he reported. "The main security loop is locked." _Joker and Harley are covering their tracks, aren't they,_ Sage asked his predecessor, who agreed.

Then the screen on the desk flickered to show a smug Joker. " _Having a little trouble up there, you two?_ "

"Joker!" Batman snarled.

" _You were expecting maybe Two-Face?_ " the clown taunted. Preempting Oscar's question, Oz simply said, _After my time._ Nodding subtly, he focused.

"You have to know there's no escape, Joker." Sage warned.

" _Silly Junior! I don't want to escape, I'm having way too much fun. I even have you two here to keep a smile on my face,_ " Joker teased while pointing at his mouth with both hands.

"Not for long," the Dark Knight warned.

" _Really? We'll see. Ta ta._ " He made as if to walk away with a little wave, then stepped back. " _Oh, I forgot to say._ " The psycho moved his camera to show a part of the background, where another screen showing commissioner Gordon could be seen. " _Just in case you colorful Boy Scouts were planning on following me, I've arranged a little insurance._ " The camera zoomed in the screen, where Gordon had just turned his back on Boles; he in turn suddenly pulled out his club and struck the older man on the back of the neck, downing him.

"No!" Sage breathed in worry. Batman growled. "Officer Boles…"

" _Gordon is on his way to Harley as we speak._ " The camera then zoomed back out, showing the Joker in all his animated lunacy. He pointed straight at the screen, words covered in menace. " _If I see either of you trying to follow me, he dies,_ " gesturing toward Gordon being dragged away. " _Harley's looking forward to it. Maybe I'll film it and post it on the internet_." And with one last cackle, he shut off the camera.

As both heroes stared in thought a bit longer at the screen, the guard finally gave on his side. "The transport system is down. Best I can do is open the door you came in. Sorry." Oscar quickly thanked him, then they both headed for the door and back out in the Transfer Loop.

While on the move, he asked, "So what's our next step?"

"We're heading back to the Holding Cells. Boles wasn't too smart. He'll have left a trail." More chattering teeth were shattered on their way through the corridors as Oracle called again.

" _Batman! What's happening?_ "

"Joker's still loose. He's sealed himself off. He's got your father."

Oscar's sympathy rose at the worried gasp he heard. " _Dad…_ " Oracle whispered.

"Don't worry. We're getting him back!" He promised her.

" _Okay, I know… but-_ "

"Oracle, we're getting him back!" Batman affirmed his partner's promise as they moved closer to their destination. "Joker will not win. I won't let him. We're starting where he was taken. An officer named Frank Boles attacked him. If we find Frank, we'll find your father."

" _Guys, hurry! Please._ " Then Barbara reluctantly signed off. Doubling their pace, the two saw screens flicker to show Joker as he continued his mocking. " _I bet you two are wondering how I did it. Was it a clue the great detective missed?_ " Another round of laughter, then, " _Oh, me and Frankie go way back. I got him out of a spot of… bother a few years ago. So when I need security codes or an old man to be clubbed to the ground, I know just the man to ask._ " Any other comments were ignored as Batman and Sage confronted two thugs bullying a defenseless guard. A batarang flew, the Long Memory swooped in, and both were soon down for the count. Oscar briefly checked the guard's vitals, noting he'd be fine, then they walked through an automatic door and arrived at the Holding Cells.

Batman activated his comms. "Oracle, We're at the Cells. I'm setting up a crime scene."

"So what's the plan?" Sage asked as he looked around the office.

" _Isolate something in that room linked to Boles, right?_ " Oracle suggested.

"Exactly." The eyes in Batman's cowl flashed blue as he moved his gaze across the room. Ozpin explained, _He's equipped with detective and forensic devices of his own design. When we were partners, he could even digitally reconstruct an entire crime based on the evidence he found._ Then Oscar noticed him sniff a bit, almost as if he could smell something. The boy experimentally flared his nostrils; sure enough, there was a twinge of alcohol in the air. Batman turned towards the floor where a flask had fallen, and its contents had spilled out. "I can adjust my scanner to pick up traces of alcohol from Boles' bourbon in the atmosphere. That way we can follow him and get Gordon back." He told Oscar who was watching him in curiosity. He then called Oracle as they headed out of the area. "Oracle, I've got a trail."

" _That's great; you two follow it. I'm grabbing every reference to Arkham I can find. May be useful later._ " Batman led them back through the Transfer Loop down one hall and through another until they reached the door that read "SECURE TRANSIT." As it opened, they could see a frustrated guard fiddle with the controls to the elevator that had brought them and Joker down here in the first place. "What's wrong with this thing?!" the guard grumbled. "Stupid, unreliable…" Noticing the approaching heroes, he turned around and asked exasperated, "How did Joker get free-" but Batman cut him off with a raised hand.

"Be quiet."

"What's going on?" Batman simply raised his head from looking at where the elevator would be to the upper beams. And the counterweight where Harley jumped onto out of nowhere.

"Heya, sweetie!" She called with a little wave before focusing on the detective. "Uh uh uh uh, B-Man! Mr. J doesn't want you two following him just yet." As her grip tightened around the cable of the counterweight, the other hand pulled out a detonator and pressed the button. "Might wanna get back, squirt." A loud boom from above was accompanied by the weight and Quinn shooting upwards at high speed, the woman laughing triumphantly. Hearing a loud screeching, Sage's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and as Batman quickly pulled the guard back, he lunged forward and slammed his cane's tip onto the ground. A green barrier of energy formed around the three just as the elevator crashed in front of them. Heavy clouds of smoke wafted and pieces flew everywhere, but the shield held, protecting its contents. As soon as they could see, Oscar willed away the barrier and leaned a bit more on his cane, panting from the effort; he was still getting used to magic.

The guard could only mutter a shocked, "Ho-ly… thanks, kid," which Oscar acknowledged with a thumbs up. As soon as he was sure the teen was fine, Batman looked at the wreckage of the elevator; it was beyond salvage and apparently blocked their path.

" _How'd ya like that, B-Man?_ " Harley's voice rang through the intercom. " _No way you're following us now. You're trapped down there til me and Mr. J are ready for ya. Ha, ha, ha!_ " She then took on a more sheepish tone. " _Oh, and uh, sorry for scarin' you like that, lil' guy. Hope you made it out okay._ " Oscar bit down on his tongue so as to not retort to that comment. _Easy, Oscar._ his mentor calmed him. _You've still got a fair amount of energy left, congratulations on channeling only so little for the barrier. Any more would've been overkill._

"Right, then," Sage noted, rising to his feet. He then looked at Batman. "So where do we go now?"

"Gordon was taken up to the surface in the elevator. If we want to follow him, we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." He then grabbed onto the young hero with one hand and shot out his grapple with the other, pulling them up to part of the elevator's pathway. Once there, Batman released him and jumped towards an adjacent ledge, Sage following him. The two then shimmied along the steel until they could climb into an open vent and upwards.

" _Hey, Baaats and lil Ozzzy!_ " The intercom sang in Joker's voice. " _I know you two can hear me. I've got a little something for you to listen to._ " A loud kicking in front of Oscar could be heard, then Batman led him out of the vent and into another part of the architecture. " _Harley and Frank are nearly out of the building the old man. How are they going to get past all those guards? Let's have a listen, shall we?_ " As Batman moved them from place to place with his grapple and they otherwise jumped and shimmied, they heard the traitorous guard confront the officers.

" _Hey, Frank! Where ya been?_ "

" _Joker's got more men on the way. They're coming around the front of the asylum. Gotta stop them getting in. Quick! Over there! Dammit! C'mon, everyone. Cover the main entrance!_ "

" _How many are there, Boles? Wait, hang on, how the hell do you know what-_ " Gunshots rang out. Then another, panicked voice. Oscar's stomach turned as he could hear the guards get killed by one of their own. Both O's couldn't help but remember with pity Lionhardt and how desperate he had been just to get out of the war with Salem. But Boles was another story.

" _Boles! Frank, what are you doing?! No! Put it down!_ " More shots. " _Frank, what the hell?!_ "

Another few shots, then Boles again. " _Quinn! It's clear! Get your ass in here._ "

" _You're some piece of work, Frankie. A girl could fall for someone like you._ " Then an exaggerated sigh.

" _Stop flirting with the hired help, Harley._ " Joker half-seriously cut in.

" _Don't worry, sweetie. You know I only have eyes for you._ " Oscar rolled his as they shuffled down another vent, wondering if there was a way to mute this part of their chatter.

" _Did you hear that, Bats? Sounds like Frankie's working out just fine! Another valuable member for the organization._ " They passed some kind of tablet with a symbol looking like a spider surrounded by a circle of scribbles, Oz briefly showing interest, then continued. Finally, they reached the top of the elevator's path where a group of thugs were gathered around a body.

"These guards didn't put up much of a fight." "Joker was right! This is easy." Batman's grapple carried them to the edge of the shaft, then they launched themselves at the goons. While Batman felled one with a one-two combo and a kick to the face, Sage drove his cane into another's stomach, forcing the air out, then snapped it upwards against the chin; the thug toppled over like a sack of grains. Batman then picked up a third and threw him into two more, knocking them all into a pile, and Oscar used the Long Memory as a vaulting pole to kick both feet into the remaining perp standing. As that one collapsed, both heroes jumped onto his pals and delivered the final blows. While Oscar casually dusted off his coat and Batman readjusted his gauntlet, Oracle called them. " _Batman, Sage. How's it going? Any sign of my dad yet?_ "

"Not yet," Batman answered. "but we're getting close. Harley tried to slow us down."

"Yeah, she dropped an elevator on us." Oscar mumbled.

" _Did it work?_ " Oracle asked amused.

"Nope." Even Batman barked a short laugh at the boy's tone. _So he_ _did_ _develop a sense of humor,_ Oz teased mentally. _Will wonders never cease?_

"Of course not. We'll get back to you when we reach the end of the trail." The conversation over, Batman threw an offhand batarang at chattering teeth in a far corner, then noted the doors were locked down. Sage, realizing what he had in mind, used his cane to pry open a nearby vent, then motioned for it. "After you." The Dark Knight half-smiled, then climbed in, his emerald partner following.

Any humor left quickly evaporated, however, when a gunshot rang out. They immediately increased the pace, and Oscar could hear someone say, "Please, I've got a kid! You don't have t-" before another shot cut him off and the of something falling over could be heard.

"You're right. I don't have to. I just want to." The following laughter made Oscar's temper boil, but he kept quiet as Batman quietly pushed the grate free, then both crept out of the vent and crouched out of sight. "Ok, boss says no one gets past. Anything moves, shoot it!"

"You got it! Anyone coming this way is dead!"

Batman activated the comms. "Oracle, Joker's men have taken control of the Cell Block Transfer Corridor."

" _That's not good. I patched into a guard radio. It sounds like Joker's crew have got their hands on weapons._ "

"We know. I'll calibrate the cowl's vision mode to isolate armed henchmen." As Oracle signed off, he turned to Oscar. "The direct approach is suicide, even with armor and Aura. I take it you can't maintain that shield from before prolonged?" Upon Oz' confirmation, Oscar shook his head. "Then we need to be smart. Find a different way past them." The detective then drew his grapple and pulled them up to an overhead gargoyle, from which they swung to the other side of the room. Dropping to the ground, Batman snuck onto the closest goon with a rifle and wrapped his arms around his neck and face, silently choking him into unconsciousness. When the man stopped struggling, he gently laid him onto the floor. Oscar briefly marveled at how quiet all this had happened, then noticed Batman pointing first at him, then at the guy on the right.

Sage nodded, then crept as quietly as he could towards the thug, his teacher giving him instructions. _Once step at a time. Put as little weight into your steps as possible. When you're close enough, make him kneel._ Reaching the thug, he kicked at the back of his knee, making him lurch to his left and letting the smaller teen grab him by the head. _Steady now. No yanking or you could damage the spine. Apply pressure to his neck from both sides while having your other arm press his head forward to his chest. Don't forget to lean back and spread your feet to keep your stance strong._ Following his advice, Oscar kept a firm grip until the thug stopped flailing and his arms went limp. Setting him down quietly, he checked for a pulse and breathed in relief as it felt steady. _Good job._ Straightening, he saw that his caped partner had already neutralized the last one. Both then turned towards the door leading back into the asylum.

But instead of going through it, Batman took them up the stairs to the right, where a thug's voice could be heard. "…No problem, boss. The boys are just finishing off. The Arkham chumps never stood a chance." The two quietly crept up to see the thug with a spiked mohawk talking to three screens showing the same image of Joker.

" _Good. Our friendly neighborhood rodent and his pet emerald munchkin are on their way. You must set a trap. They must not leave this building. But remember;_ _no_ _killing them. I've got plans for them. Do you understand me?_ "

"Y-yes, boss! The Bat and the kid are as good as dead, er, caught! Caught!"

" _I hope you keep your promises, boy. I'd hate to have to go and punish your family just to teach you a lesson. I promise you they won't be laughing._ "

"But, Joker!"

" _Yehbehbuh, just do it! And have fun. I know I will._ " The goon sighed at the laughter of his boss, thinking he was in the clear… not noticing the Bat standing right behind him until he got knocked out. As the two dropped him to the floor, Joker finally noticed them through his laughing fit. " _Ohh, look who it is! Are your pointy ears burning? Has Ozzy been teaching you some of his all-seeing, all-knowing schtick? I suppose I'd better warn my boys you're on the way… Hey, maybe I won't… it'll be a nice surprise!_ " With a parting chuckle, the feed cut off, leaving the room in silence.

Sage gave Batman a skeptical look. "Think he was telling the truth or kidding?"

"One way or another, we play it safe." Batman opened another vent in the wall, and the two climbed through. _I'm starting to feel like a rat crawling through these ducts._

 _Would you prefer cheese or fruit for a snack?_ Oz teased him, getting a snort out of the boy. Then the intercom delivered another Joker-message. " _Ding ding ding dong. Arkham Asylum is now under new management. Here's a quick update on what's going on. Attention! We have an escaped patient. Dresses like a bat, oh ho ho, what an idiot! Drags little kiddies into his lunacy, no no no, shame on him! Should be considered costumed and dangerous._ " Outside the duct, Batman disabled a thug looting a guard's rifle and quietly set him down, then they snuck up some stairs for a better view of the room. " _Personally, I think the best solution is to put him out of his misery. It's the only reliable cure. And bring any poor children you may find to management. That way we can… cleanse them of any nasty information._ " As Sage put to sleep another prowling the walkway, Batman grappled onto a gargoyle, then glided towards the last thug, kicking him down and out.

Then Joker called out again. " _Did you really think it was going to be that easy, Bats? I've sent a few more boys your way. Let's see how you heroes deal with these odds."_ And on cue, more henchmen swarmed in through the doors, the heroes barely ducking out of sight.

"Spread out!" One ordered the others. "Joker wants 'em found." "They could be anywhere!" "Then keep your eyes open. Move!" Sage crept to a nearby dark corner on one of the upper walkways, narrowly evading one goon that passed by. His comm activated. " _Sage, there are four of them in the room,_ " Batman warned him. " _Two are near your position; take them out while I handle the others._ " The former farmhand confirmed, then slipped behind the one that had just passed him. Extending his cane, he jabbed against the thug's leg, then rapped him against the back of his head, knocking him out. The last part was a bit too loud, and he could hear the other one climbing up a ladder next to him. Thinking quickly, Oscar spread himself on the ground and propped his weapon like a billiard cue. As soon as the thug's head showed, he thrust against the forehead, knocking him back to the lower ground with a cry. Oscar pushed himself back up and crept over to see the guy curled up below, the only sounds coming out of him being groans. He then saw a dark shadow envelop the last goon standing and pull him up to a gargoyle, where he was then dropped and left hanging by a rope. Staring with awe at the sight, he watched as Batman glided over to him, nodding at the two bodies. "Louder than necessary, but adequate." Oscar nodded shyly, scratching his head.

" _Oh, those were the easy ones. I'm just playin' wit' ya. You'll see…_ " Joker taunted them one last time as they continued following the whiskey trail. Oscar briefly stopped to pick up an interview tape and listen in curiosity, only to be shocked that Harley Quinn's voice could be heard. Batman confirmed that she originally went by Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist at Arkham itself before the Joker corrupted her. _Ah yes,_ Ozpin realized. _I believe I briefly ran into her as an intern when Joker was brought to Blackgate Prison and subsequently instigated a riot. As I recall, she seemed unhappy with her rescue by Batman and myself. Hmm._ Any musings about the irony of a mind shrink going mad was quickly squashed, however, when they saw what was in front of the gate.

Frank Boles' lifeless body was chained to a bed similar to the one they had wheeled Joker in, his open mouth covered in green makeup that looked like smile. A battered tablet was attached to him as well, reading, "DEAD END." "Joker must've figured out how we were tracking him." Batman noted with restrained irritation. "Officer Boles' trail stops here." Even when looking at the corpse, neither Oscar nor Ozpin could feel much sympathy for the man; like Leo, he had betrayed his fellow officers, and like Salem had done with the lion Faunus, Joker had gotten rid of Boles when he stopped being an asset. Only he had been much more unpleasant.

Then their comms activated again, with more static than usual. " _Can you hear me, Batman?_ " A new voice, saturated with smugness, teased. " _I know you can. Yes, it is I, Edward Nigma, the Riddler, and more importantly, your intellectual superior._ " As a visibly annoyed Batman typed commands on his gauntlet, Sage heard a groan of frustrated recognition from his inner voice. " _My genius has allowed me to easily hack into your primitive communications._ "

"Congratulations," Sage drily spoke up, "you're a hacker. Is there any real reason we need to do this right now?" _Oz, you know this guy, too?_ He asked at the same time.

 _Unfortunately,_ Ozpin answered in a weary tone. _He was head of the GCPD's Cyber Crime Division under the payroll of a crime lord; quite talented with computers and technology, but also one of the biggest narcissists I've encountered throughout my life. And_ _that_ _is an accomplishment._

" _My my, the Bat's newest protégé, I take it?_ " A haughty laugh echoed. " _You should be honored to be tested in whatever minimal mental prowess a child like you would possess. My goal is simple: You and your self-righteous senpai complete a series of amusingly taxing challenges and well, you'll see._ " _So he's grown even more in love with himself over the years. Charming,_ Oz observed as dry as a desert. " _Ready for your first one? Good! But be caaareful. Don't_ _cut_ _yourselves on this_ _sharply_ _observed portrait._ " Oscar thought about it for a few seconds, then noticed the portrait of the warden hanging on the walls. Batman already saw it and scanned it. " _So you did it, well done! I would have expected a child to work that one out, let alone the world's greatest detective. Good thing I have both in the room!_ " Oscar facepalmed at this; didn't they have enough to deal with already in this asylum without some riddle-obsessed nutjob jumping in, too?! Then Ozpin spoke up again. _Calm down, Oscar. If I know Batman, he's already working on tracking Mr. Nigma's hacking. And besides,_ the ancient protector of Remnant chuckled mischievously, _even if we have to play his little games, we can still amuse ourselves. Listen._

After hearing his mentor's plan, Sage smiled and addressed Riddler who was still busy taunting him. "Well, I guess we have some time to spare, Mr. Nashton." He noticed Batman giving him a slightly perplexed look. "So, I suppose we could try our luck at your riddles."

" _Ah, it's nice to finally have someone show a little enthusiasm for once. But for the record, it's Riddler or Mr. Nigma, not Nashton._ "

"Oh, sorry, I thought that was your name. But you're sure it's Nigma and not Enigma? A common mistake, many people in Gotham would make it."

" _The Nigma is intentional, thank you very much!_ " Riddler replied, sounding much testier. " _E. Nigma; a clever wordplay! And I'll let it slide once, but do not compare me to the commoners of this uneducated hive. I am a goliath of genius far beyond all others!_ "

"Oh?" And this is where the real fun came. "What about when you thought you were working for Black Mask, when it was really Joker the whole time? Your great intellect never noticed the difference, I hear."

First they could hear some indignant sputtering, then, " _HOW_ _DARE_ _YOU?! I WASN'T FOOLED FOR A SECOND BY THAT DERANGED, IMBECELLIC JESTER, YOU LITTLE-_ " The rest of the tirade couldn't be heard on account of an electronic whine. Oscar winced at the sound, but couldn't stop himself from chuckling, Oz as well, and even Batman cracked a grin. After a few calming breaths, Riddler spoke again, though there was still an edge. " _Why don't you just rack your troglodyte tiny brain over my tests, and we shall see how brilliant I am._ " With that, he angrily cut the communication.

The Dark Knight turned to his young ally. "Smart move riling him up like that. Nigma's ego can't handle being questioned." Oscar smiling at the compliment, he gestured to his gauntlet. "His system is encrypted, but the more we solve his puzzles -the more we get him to talk- the easier I'll have tracking him down. I'll solve the word riddles he sends while you look for green trophies that look like question marks."

"Got it." Sage replied. A door opened next to them, catching their attention. A guard with a gun peered out, them recognizing him as Officer North. "I'm over here, Batman!" The addressed motioned for Oscar to join the guard before briefly climbing towards the upper office. Neither was sure what he was doing at first, but Riddler's irritated voice sparked over the comms again. " _Don't get too full of yourself, Dark Knight. It only gets harder from here._ " Realizing he must've solved one of the puzzles, Oscar calmly waited for him to return.

Once all were present, North explained a little less anxious. "It was a massacre. Boles came walking in telling everyone to cover the front entrance. Said something about Joker's army coming in through the main gate. Two of my guys moved to the exit and Frank shot 'em dead! They never stood a chance."

"Was Boles alone?"

"Thought he was, then I saw Harley Quinn. She was surrounded by Blackgate prisoners. They were just killing everyone in the room! I had no choice. I got in here, locked the door. I-I could see it on the prison feed. They had someone with them; it looked like the commissioner."

"Boles is dead. They carried on without him. Must've outlived his usefulness."

"Good!" North spat out. "He was scum." He then led them inside and looked down at a guard leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry, buddy." He said mournfully. Sage shared a sympathetic look with him, then joined Batman as he headed for the door at the end of the room. They opened it and passed through more corridors, pipes and equipment on all sides before reaching a sort of locker room where a radio was left on. " _We apologize for this interruption in our regular broadcast. Jack Ryder is live from the Gotham bay area with some breaking news._ " Both stopped to listen.

" _This is Jack Ryder with breaking news in the Gotham bay_." _Redundant,_ Oscar thought with a flat look. " _We're getting reports of an armed siege on Arkham Island. Two minutes ago, Joker broadcast to all news channels this chilling message._ "

" _Greetings, Gotham,_ " Joker's voice sounded ominous. " _This is the voice of your new master! Oh, hang on…_ " A giggle then back to normal voice, " _I've skipped a bit! Ahem, Joker here! I'm in control of Arkham Island and you can all consider it out of bounds now. If I see any lawmen, vigilantes, or do-gooders in tights coming this way, I'll start detonating random bombs around the city. What'll it be? A kindergarten, a hospital? A billionaire's mansion? Ooh, choices, choices, choices._ "

Ryder spoke again. " _All access to the island has been restricted, airspace is closed off, and early reports suggest that Batman himself is trapped on the island. We'll be right here, reporting live on any development. Back to the studio._ "

" _Thanks, Jack. More as it happens._ " And with that, Batman moved on, Sage following him with a tense look. "Sounds like things are starting to get anxious in Gotham."

"It isn't hopeless yet, Oscar." Batman calmed him. "We stop Joker, we keep Gotham safe." The man's confidence was invigorating, if nothing else, and Oscar relaxed a little more as they left the locker rooms. In another room, yet another air duct was removed, and they quickly slipped through it to find themselves outdoors. Rocky walls partially covered in vegetation surrounded them, but there was a clear path with room to maneuver. They followed the path, grappled up a ledge, and before Sage knew it, they were standing outside a cave overlooking most of the Arkham complex. Gotham City and its lights could be seen in the distance. The darkness of the night and the few raindrops almost made the whole setting look beautiful, in a morbid kind of way. _Yes, I suspect Miss Belladonna would appreciate this image,_ Ozpin gave his own thoughts to the scenery. Batman then said on, "Climb onto me," and as soon as the boy was secure on his back, the Caped Crusader jumped and glided expertly down to the front of the mansion.

" _Hmm_ ," Joker said through the intercom just as they landed. " _Harley tells me that Batman's car is still parked just outside of the Intensive Treatment building. Now, we can't just have him up and leave us, now can we? Every thug, villain, murderer, and kindergarten teacher that isn't carrying out party orders should head over there now and smash it to pieces._ " Sage stopped to pick up a Riddler trophy near the water, then caught up with Batman was already near a rusty bate. Gravestones could be seen on the inside.

Batman activated his comm. "Oracle, disable the Batmobile's countermeasure system." Oscar raised an eyebrow at the name "Batmobile," but was waved off. _You didn't think he brought Joker here by taxi, now did you?_ Oz asked rhetorically.

" _I saw the alert. What's wrong? Where are you guys?_ "

"We're outside the Arkham Mansion. Harley Quinn probably triggered the alarm. If she's still got Gordon with her, he could get hurt."

" _Okay, done! The Batmobile's still parked up outside the Intensive Treatment building in Arkham North. I've sent you updated schematics for the entire island. I've marked key locations like your car._ "

"Thanks, Oracle." While in the cemetery, Sage spotted another trophy hidden among the grass and a third inside a wooden shack and grabbed it (" _Of course you found that one easy, boy; you were supposed to!_ ") while Batman scanned a gravestone that, when the teen looked closer, read "AMADEUS ARKHAM." The Dark Knight then briefly grappled up to the very top of the roof alone where he apparently solved more riddles and collected more trophies, seeing Riddler chimed in again with " _So the great detective and his trained pet have solved a mere ten percent of my challenges. Anyone ready to give up yet?_ " Rejoining his partner, he led the way through the gardens, at times moving via grapple and gliding to quicken the pace. Then a sudden detour was made on account of seeing a crashed ambulance near the courtyards. Emergency workers huddled together, only relaxing they saw Batman approach.

One of the workers was kneeling mournfully over his colleague. "I can't believe it, they killed Jackson…"

"Your friend?" Oscar asked, but he shook his head.

"Like a brother."

"Stay with your group," Batman advised. "We're ending this. Now." The heroes then climbed over some stoneways and took care of the thugs standing guard with no break in their strides. They then walked through a gate and stepped into Arkham North.

A group of Joker's goons had surrounded some kind of black, armored car that looked cool even from a distance. They were all carrying pipes and other heavy tools which they banged onto the engine, against the sides, the wheels, well, you get the idea. And all the while, Joker egged them on via intercom. " _This entire island will soon be under my control. That's right, boys and girls; mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine. Just wait till you see my plans for this place. It's going to be glorious._ "

Ignoring the madman's rambling, Batman and Sage confronted the thugs head-on. Batman ripped the pipe out of one guy's hand, plunged it into his stomach, and kicked him down. Dropping the pipe, he flipped over another, knocking him off-balance, which Sage exploited with three blows to the face. The smaller hero then parried the swing of a third's club while stepping out of reach of a fourth, then with a twirl of his cane, disarmed them both and swept their legs out from under them. He knocked them out with a couple of light jabs and turned to see Batman kick one goon's teeth out and break another's arm. The final guy desperately swung his rusty pipe at them, trying to keep them at bay. Oscar casually batted the weapon to one side and slapped the thug's wrist with his cane, making him drop it and giving Batman an opening to uppercut him into defeat.

With no more enemies to pummel, they turned to the Batmobile, which was sporting a heavy number of scratches and dents all over. "How is it?" Oscar asked softly, still a bit in awe; up close, it was the probably coolest vehicle he had ever seen. He could almost hear Yang squealing at the sight of it. _Do not forget that she would most likely shatter half the island in rage at what those brutes did to it._ Ozpin chimed in. _But yes, it is certainly an impressive sight. The Batmobile was still under construction when I arrived, though it went under the name, "Urban Assault Vehicle." I am almost curious as to who renamed it, certainly not Batman of his own volition. The man's concept of humor is drier than all of Vacuo._

Meanwhile, Batman had just finished inspecting his transport. "The damage is mostly cosmetic; nearly all functions are still operational. But we can't leave the island yet and driving it around would be impractical." He then walked to the back of the vehicle. "There's a supply of Explosive Gel in the trunk of the Batmobile. We may need it." While talking, the detective opened the trunk and pulled out a small device that looked like it would be used for spraying paint onto something. Packing it away in his belt, he joined the young mage and gestured around them. "Looks like there was a scuffle. We need to search the area around the Batmobile. There could be a clue as to where Harley took Gordon."

Sage nodded; he was still getting used to detective work, but luckily, Ozpin had some experience with that. He checked one side of the Batmobile while Batman scanned the other. He then noticed something lying in front; walking over, he picked it up to see it was a wooden pipe, ornately carved with little wear and the initials J.G. on its stem. _J.G.-James Gordon!_ Oscar realized, remembering the commissioner say he'd stop smoking if the Long Memory was a fake, as he waved Batman over. The man took one look and nodded. "Barbara gave it to her father. There's no way he'd leave it." He then scanned the spot where Oscar had picked it up, spotting a small pile of brown stuff. "Wild Country! Gordon's favorite tobacco. He's not a detective for nothing; left us a trail to follow." He then called their support. "Oracle, Sage found a pipe. It has your father's initials carved on it."

" _It was a birthday gift I gave him last year. There's no way he'd leave it._ "

"Exactly!" Batman agreed. "He's left us a trail to follow. He's alive, Barbara!"

Oscar smiled at the reassurance, then focused on the next step. "Same procedure as before with Boles? Just, y'know, with a happier ending…" Batman nodded and led him towards the security doors leading to the inside, then stopped before them, looking around. "What's wrong?" Sage asked curious.

"The security doors are locked. We're going to have to find another way around and get back on Gordon's trail." He explained, walking alongside the side of the building before reaching a certain spot. There he took out that spray gun from before and wordlessly spread some kind of gelatin in the shape of a bat. _The wall ahead is weak enough for his Explosive Gel to blast through and open a new path._ Ozpin took up the explanation. _Brace yourself. That substance may look harmless, but it packs a punch._ Oscar nodded and stepped away, Batman watching him while holding up the device.

Another one of Joker's calls could be heard in the background. " _Anyone see the big bad Bat? I warn you. He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you; he really is an idiot!_ " A brief laugh, then, " _Or maybe you've seen the munchkin following him? Probably looking for a yellow brick cave! But be sure to bring him to me; he can tell us where the Emerald City is, and how to reach the Wiz-Head of Ozzy._ "

Ignoring the clown's ravings, the Dark Knight pressed a button and with a loud _boom!_ the wall was blown to pieces instantly. _You were right, Oz,_ Oscar thought with a wince. _That was loud._ Rubbing his ear, he followed Batman through the new entrance into a tunnel of brick before they reached a door. It led to what Ozpin realized must be the western part of the complex as they ran to an automatic door that opened for them and led them back outside.

Tow thugs were hammering colored wood to some arch that went to another building; each hero quietly disabled one and looked at their handiwork. The upper sign saying, "PENITENTIARY" was barely visible due to the planks, and it looked like the early stages of a big drawing. The pair headed inside towards the double doors reading, VISITOR CENTER and walked through.

The room inside was long and narrow, with special booths on either side and reinforced glass that would separate visitors from the inmates, like on the crime series Oscar would watch from time to time back at his aunt's farm. And speaking of television, a body dressed up like the Joker was propped onto a chair behind the glass on the far side of the room. It had an old-fashioned TV mounted over its head that flickered as they stepped closer.

Suddenly, Joker's face popped on screen. " _Come in, sit down, take off your mask._ " It taunted. Batman and Sage moved to different sides, but the picture continued; just a recording. " _So Bats, I was thinking. You really could use a friend in here. Not the twerp trying to cosplay as Ozzy, but someone grown-up. Someone to talk to, share secrets with. Shall we start with the big one? Who_ _is_ _that behind the mask? Why do you feel the need to go out into the world and fight people like me? Do you really think you can win? We'll see._ " Oscar looked at his ally who appeared unfazed by the comments, then spun back when it continued. " _And as for you, Greenlee Junior. I can tell you've only been at this for a while now. Did the old Pinhead drag you into this? He always had a habit for meddling, which he passed onto Bats. But now that you're out of the kiddie pool and swimming with the big boys, how long do you think you can last before you start drowning?_ " And with a final cackle, static. Oscar couldn't help but think about the clown's words; if Ozpin hadn't been grafted to his soul, would he be in this kind of mess? And even with all his training, his cane, his magic, how long could he hope to last before he died or Ozpin fully took over? The farm boy wasn't even sure which fate he'd prefer. _Stay calm, Oscar,_ his voice spoke up again. _Joker is simply trying to rattle us, knock us off our game. I'm not controlling you, and you're not dead yet. And I cannot say this will be so in the future, but the present is still yours._

Oscar perked up and smiled a bit at the comfort. _Thanks, Oz._ Then the Joker-TV came to life again. " _There were these two guys and one boy in a lunatic asylum… oh hell, you've heard that one before, haven't you? Let's just get down to business. You two are probably wondering how this is all going to turn out, aren't you? Is it driving you bats, Bats? Heh, you probably thought you could follow that idiot guard to the old man, didn't you. Sorry about that. Hang on a second. If I outsmarted both of you, and I'm, well… quite clearly insane, what does that make you? Ohoho._ " Then static again. There didn't seem to be anything else in the room besides that nutjob's way of taunting them, so they went back the way they came. Though Sage could've sworn that when he took one last glance at the body, its arm was positioned differently. But the doors opened, and they were back out.

Back outside, gunshots could be heard in the distance. The two hurried over to one of the guard towers where one guard in an overcoat was fearfully huddling up. "Batman, what's going on?" He asked as they approached. "The crazies are moving towards the medical facility. What's Joker doing?"

"He's trying to take over the island piece by piece. It looks like Medical is his next target." _Move from one controlled territory to conquer the next. A classic tactic. But why Medical of all places?_ The wizard wondered while Batman continued. "Has anyone got out of the building?"

"I saw a doctor try and get out…he was torn apart…thrown in the water. He never stood a chance." Oscar winced at the image; a cruel way to die. _I've had worse deaths._

"You wait here. We'll be back." As they glided down from the tower, Joker sounded a little more forceful than usual on the speakers. " _I don't know about you, but I'm having a great time. You guys just make it look too easy, like you're not even trying. Which is_ _not_ _what I pay you to do. Find everyone._ _Now_ _._ " The pair ran up to the steps where a bigger group of mooks had clustered. Seeing as they were obviously not paying attention, they were caught off guard by the sudden attack.

Two batarangs stunned the closest thugs while Batman blocked a pipe swung at his head and then disarmed his attacker before sending him reeling with a flurry of punches, crushing some chattering teeth underfoot in the process. He then rolled and kicked another in the chest, knocking him to the floor and leaving him open for Batman's fist. The crime-fighter rose to his full height and turned to the rest.

Sage for his part had made sure the first two wouldn't be getting up again. He then ducked under a third's punch and snapped the Long Memory against his ribs, making him double over, and then sent him into a near-backflip with an upwards swing. One of the remaining two charged the boy with a pipe and a yell, only for his clumsy swings to be redirected by the cane into his buddy's cheek. That one was then slammed headfirst into the pavement by Batman while Sage battered the club-wielding one with cane jabs into unconsciousness. He then broke two more teeth chattering on the floor when Joker spoke up again, this time sounding even more frustrated as he spoke. " _I just want everyone to know that I really appreciate all the hard work. You know, watching you guys is like a night in, watching my favorite movie. What was the name of that movie again? Oh yes, Attack of The Stupid Bungling Idiots Who Can't Find an Even Bigger Idiot Dressed Like a Bat and a Smaller Idiot Dressed Like a Leprechaun! Now get to it! Uuah, I'm getting bored._ " At this point, Oscar was starting to honestly wonder what the heck a leprechaun is and why everybody kept calling him that. Even Oz didn't seem to know.

Refocusing, he followed Batman enter the Medical wing, where they found Harley humming to herself while filing her nails behind a security gate. Her feet were casually propped up on a table and a coffee mug was right next to her. She finally noticed them and sat up. "Hey, scram, Bats! This is my me time. Oh, you're okay, squirt! Sorry about that whole elevator thing, was jus' tryin' to keep B-Man away."

Sage just gave her a flat look while Batman spoke up, unamused. "Where's Gordon?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I'm over here!" Gordon's voice called out from their right. Angered, Harley yelled at him to shut up and threw the mug out of sight. A shattering and a grunt could be heard before Gordon said, "Crazy bitch…" Worried for him, Oscar strained to try and see the commissioner, but with the gate online, he couldn't get a good look.

Then the screen behind Harley showed Joker who wasn't happy. " _Harley!_" With a yelp, the woman quickly got up. " _What are they doing here? It's too early!_ "

Harley skipped over and braced her hands the screen. "I'm sorry, puddin'! Don't be angry with me." She then leaned in and gave her boyfriend a loud kiss, causing Os to gag a bit and Oz to muse, _Mad love._

" _Oh, you little minx. I can never stay mad at you._ " Joker then cut off the feed with a grin.

Harley turned back to them with a smug look. "Sorry, B-Man! You'll have to find another way. But maybe if you wanna come by a little later, li'l guy, I could share some cookies wit' ya. Buh bye now!" She then cartwheeled out of sight.

"This way's blocked, and I can't see how to deactivate it," Batman whispered as he turned around. "We better search outside for another way in." Sage nodded in understanding and followed him back outside. _Oz,_ he thought while on the move, _I know you've been worried about the commissioner ever since he got kidnapped._

_Was it that easy to notice?_

_I know you pretty well by now, so I can tell. But we'll get him out alive, I promise._

For a while, there was nothing. Then, _Thank you, Oscar._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this actually gets more fun with each passing sentence! No way I'm quitting now when we're just getting started. But to clarify, I'll be showing Riddler games only every now and then, and the Spirit of Arkham schtick isn't included. Sorry, but I've already got enough on my plate.


	5. Chapter 4: Fear Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if things weren't complicated enough, another member of Batman's Rogues Gallery shows up. One Ozpin never encountered, so Oscar's in for a shock. Here's hoping he can survive it.

Back in front of Medical, Sage looked up at Batman. "Any ideas on how to get to Gordon?"

"A few." The older hero replied, retrieving his grapple gun. "One of the first lessons I learned was that if you can't solve a problem one way, try a different tactic." He then shot the grapple at a ledge behind the building they'd just exited. Holding onto the teen, he pulled them up to the roof where they ran along the side until dropping down to a smaller part where the outer cover had fallen away. Walking straight up to the concrete, Batman applied Explosive Gel to the surface, then stepped a bit back before detonating it. The rubble collapsed away from them into a small room with a door on the right.

 _Huh,_ Oscar thought a bit as they entered the building via the door. _It's kind of amazing how concentrated the explosions are. I'd half expect part of the roof to be blown away or us._

 _Batman's always been a meticulous type._ Ozpin replied. _He probably tested that gelatin hundreds of times in various concentrations before finding the correct amount._ All the while, they climbed over bars and wire fences in what was most likely a hall for maintenance, Batman confidently knowing where he was going. Luckily for Sage, his Aura boosted his legs for him to get up the higher parts.

" _I want all the doctors rounded up! Search every inch of the Medical building._ " Joker ordered over the intercoms. " _I mean it! Search every room, every office, and every trash can._ " Puzzled by the order, Batman led them into an air duct while Joker continued to command his henchmen. " _If another doctor tries to run and gets out of the building, then you won't! I'll just flood the rooms with happy gas and leave you to die! Hell, I might do that anyway, sounds fun._ " Oscar made a quick detour to grab a Riddler trophy from a tiny room (" _Can you hear that,_ _child_ _? It's the sound of me clapping at your success. You can't? That's because an idiot would have found that trophy._ "), then followed his caped partner towards a part of the vents that showed a bigger room.

In there, a woman was being restrained by one of Joker's lackies. "Get off of me!"

"Shut it and get down there with the others!" He then shoved her hard towards a nearby office. "Move it!"

"Ok, ok, I hear you. I'm going." She hurriedly stepped into the office with her hands behind her head.

"Why does he need the doctors?" Batman wondered out loud while scanning the room for hostiles.

Sage had been thinking about that as well. "Maybe he wants them as hostages? To draw us out in the open?" He offered while his mentor was still thinking. _Or this has something to do with his experiments,_ Ozpin finally said. _That mutant he unleashed on us… the two may be connected._ A shiver ran down the boy's spine as he repeated the thought to Batman; that thing had been a handful on its own, and he didn't want to fight more.

"I've been considering that, too," Batman said with a grim look, "but one way or another, we've got to save them." They then navigated through the ducts and narrow spaces until finally stepping into a part of the room out of the goons' sights. An old cage was right next to them, the bars ripped apart and dusty bones scattered within. _That's not creepy at all._ Oscar thought before Batman turned to him. "Five guards in total," he noted. "Two of them are nearby; you handle them while I deal with the rest." At the boy's nod, he grappled to an upper gargoyle. Sage in turn crept along the shadows, part of him wishing he had chosen a darker coat.

Someone close by was sobbing. "Stop yer cryin' or I'll show something that'll really upset ya." A goon barked while slamming the butt of his gun against the wall. "Can't stand a cry-baby!" He sneered before turning around… and stumbling over a black cane held at knee-height. Sage then grabbed his head with both hands and slammed it to the floor hard before he could cry out. Retrieving then and collapsing his cane, he slowly made his way up the stairs, where he could hear another thug walking, gun at the ready. An explosion suddenly rang out, blowing away another guy who must've been standing too close, and shaking up Oscar's target. Seizing his chance, the hero tackled him to the ground and wrapped his tightly around his neck, not letting until the guy's eyes rolled up. Sage then rose in time to see Batman swoop down and the goon that had been watching the main exit. Looking around, he noted that there weren't any others still running about, so he descended the stairs to check on the hostages. Two were strapped to medical chairs and couldn't move, but ven they looked calmer now that the criminals were out of commission.

" _Hellooo? Is there a doctor in the house?_ " Joker sang as the pair rejoined. " _No? Pity. I seem to have a pile of wounded henchmen that need medical attention._ " Ignoring him, Batman assured the red-haired doctor closest to him. "You're safe now."

"I don't know what happened; one minute, we were doing our evening rounds, and the next, armed hostages burst into the room and took us hostage!"

"Did they have anyone with them?"

"They took someone into the elevator. I couldn't tell who it was."

"They obviously didn't want to be followed; the elevator appears to have been powered down. You're going to be okay here?"

"We'll be fine." The doctor replied with a smile. Then the bearded orderly who'd been huddling in the corner spoke up.

"What about the others? We heard gunfire. They could be dead! We should go and help."

"Oh no!" The doctor exclaimed. "I forgot, Dr. Kellerman was in the Patient Observation room and Dr. Chen went to Surgery."

"Anyone else?" Sage asked while trying to unstrap one hostage from his chair.

"Yeah, Dr. Young went to X-Ray." The orderly added.

"Ok, stay here! We'll find the other doctors." Batman told them. The redhead walked over and took Sage's place, assuring him that she could help the trapped man. The younger fighter rejoined his colleague who'd briefly leaped among the upper parts of the room, probably to solve more riddles and collect trophies, and was now running toward the exit. Outside the door, lines of different colors led to other parts of the facility; red for X-Ray, yellow for Surgery, and blue for Patient Observation.

"Three doctors in three different areas," Oscar said in thought. He then turned to Batman. "We should split up for now." The Dark Knight moved to protest, but he quickly raised his hands and continued. "Look, I know it's dangerous in here, but the longer we take, the more at risk the doctors are. Me just tagging along would slow you down, so you save one, I'll go for another, and we'll meet up to save the third together."

Batman looked at the boy a while longer, then sighed. "All right. But if things get too heated, call me immediately. Understood?" Sage nodded. "Here." He gave him the Explosive Gel. "Might come in handy, but I expect you to return it. Otherwise, I'm heading for the Surgery room."

And I'll follow the line for X Ray." Then the two split off in their respective directions. Sage followed the yellow line road down the halls while TVs hanging from the ceiling played recordings that sounded like they were on a loop. " _Remember, a happy patient is a quiet patient._ " Oscar just rolled his eyes at the message before it switched to an announcement from the Warden; an introduction to Dr. Young, of all things. _Huh. Some coincidence._ He wasn't really paying attention at first, worried about the doctor, but then one part of the recording caught his eye. " _…talk about the mind. How can such a complex entity be understood and treated when it breaks? How indeed._ " Oscar stopped and stared at the face talking; dark brown hair tied in a ponytail with some hanging over her forehead, blue eyes… _Oz,_ he asked his mentor while continuing on the move, _isn't that the same doctor I saw while Joker was brought down to Intensive Treatment?_

_Yes, you barely looked at her, but I'm half-sure that was the same woman. Dr. Young, eh? I don't know her, but she seemed on edge when Joker arrived, didn't she?_

_Yeah, but it's_ _Joker_ _we're talking about. Even_ _you're_ _on edge when it comes to that guy._ Nevertheless, he kept moving, though when he rounded a corner, he almost stumbled into a big gift box. When it popped open, Sage jumped back, expecting an explosion or some of that Joker Toxin. Instead, he got… confetti and more of those stupid teeth. Oscar sighed, smashed them all with his cane, then continued. The recording of Doctor Young continued about her creating some kind of "Project Titan" that could help patients resist psychotic episodes. Jokingly wondering if he might've taken that treatment back when Ozpin had first spoken, the farmboy listened to her while still following the line, " _…Patient X was the catalyst that led to the full-scale adoption of the Titan process. We must all thank our benefactors for this opportunity._ " Then a different message began playing.

Ozpin was giving off feelings of uneasiness as Sage finally approached a trio of thugs guarding some double doors. He didn't waste time questioning his ally's thoughts or let one goon finish his little entendre about the doctor; instead, he thrusted the Long Memory past the plastic flaps and into that jerk's stomach, making him double over and drop the pipe he'd been holding. The cane was then lashed against another's arm, redirecting his punch, and Sage crouched to kick in the third's leg. He then let the only one still standing grab ahold of his weapon and fell back, pulling the thug along and with both legs against the bigger man's chest, flipped him over onto the ground. Sage jumped back to his feet and spun 360 degrees, the tip of his cane striking all of their heads at once and finishing the job. Satisfied with the results, he quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

The room inside was filled with all sorts of medical gear, and x-ray scans lined the walls; _hopefully the right place,_ Oscar joked as he looked around. At first glance, there wasn't any sign of the doctor or her captors, but he could hear voices from in front. _Oscar, the screen,_ Oz prompted him to look up at the monitor at the ceiling. Sure enough, Dr. Young could be seen, surrounded by five guards. _They must be up ahead, behind that wall._ Sage drifted over and found a crack in the wall.

"…anyone goes near you without Joker's express permission, then I've been ordered to make sure you get taken out FAST. Looks like you're our bargaining chip." One goon was saying. _They all carry guns, Oscar. Jump in there, and best case would be that Dr. Young is injured in the crossfire. Worst case is we all end up dead._

_So what do we do? And please tell me your suggestion doesn't involve you taking over._

_No need. Batman already gave you the right tool for this._ Sage's eyes widened as he pulled out the Explosive Gel. He then sprayed some of the stuff onto the wall in front of him, still hearing the goons talking. "Gotta tell ya, the boss is all over this job. Planned like a military operation. Friends on the inside and out." The boy stepped back to see the gel in the shape of a gear and made to activate it before Ozpin stopped him. _Wait, that wouldn't be enough to fell all of them. Try to find another spot and apply a second dose there._ Sage nodded and circled to the left, walking around equipment before he noticed a part of wall that looked weak enough, right next to a group of stacked stretchers. He peered through a loose part to confirm it is the same room. Dr. Young was looking a bit more nervous than just a few seconds ago.

"I am quite aware that this job, as you call it, requires friends. What I want to know is why you chose me." The doctor stated while Oscar applied a second cog of gel to the wall. "Did Joker specify me? Why don't you let me talk to him? I'm sure we can settle this." Oscar was confused about this conversation, but it was getting more heated by the second, and there wasn't time to waste. So he hit the detonator, blowing both walls to pieces and wiping out all the goons. Dr. Young had retreated in the farthest corner from them, so she was unharmed despite crying out in surprise. The young warrior carefully stepped around the rubble and unconscious bodies to meet her. She backed up upon seeing him. "Who are you?"

"It's okay. I work with Batman, and I'm here to get you out." Sage assured her, hands raised placatingly.

"What's going on?" Young demanded. "They were talking like they were in control. Is it true that Joker escaped?"

"Unfortunately. But Batman's after him; he won't be running free for long." He then frowned in thought. "Didn't warden Sharpe say he wanted you to know Joker was back? Why you?"

"I'd been studying Joker's case for months when he broke out. The warden was very specific he wanted Joker cured." The doctor had calmed down a bit.

 _Bad publicity will affect his campaign for mayor,_ Ozpin mused, which his successor echoed.

"That'll be the least of his-" Then she froze again. "Oh, God…I almost forgot; they said they were moving through the building, hunting down the other doctors!"

"I know," Sage replied, "Batman was heading for Surgery to save your colleague, that's why I'm here instead of him. We've got one more room to search and then all the staff will be safe. Please stay here for now." Dr. Young looked a bit unhappy, but she nodded as he walked back to the exit. He activated his communicator. "Batman, Dr. Young's safe and in the X-Ray room."

" _Good work, Sage. I just finished with getting Dr. Chen free. Meet me on the way to Patient Observation._ " Oscar affirmed and ran as fast he could back the way he came. He then turned the corner to the other rooms just as the screens showed Joker again. " _Oh, I'm not sure I can keep it a secret any longer!_ " He saw Batman waiting wordlessly ahead and ran over to him. " _Got two friends coming over to the party. One of them is just_ _terrified_ _you'll leave without saying hello or introducing Ozzy's whelp. The other, well… let's just say he's going to be as surprised to see you as you will be to see him! And I'll bet he'll remember your green teacher too, kiddies!_ " They traded curious looks about the cryptic message, ignoring another gift box popping open with chattering teeth before crushing the toys and moving on. Oscar returned with a thank-you the Explosive Gel, which Batman accepted with a nod. The blue line led them to more equipment to the left, dead orderlies on the ground with bullet casings around them, and another pair of henchmen chatting with each other in front of the section they needed to go. The Dark Knight and the mage-in-training ducked out of sight.

"Who's the guard?"

"Mean son of a bitch is Cash!"

"How'd he get that hook?"

"What's wrong wit' you? Don't you know nothin'? Cash had a disagreement with Killer Croc a while back. Croc got free and chowed down on Cash's hand."

"Jeez." Oscar couldn't help but agree with the guy.

"Yeah, so if you see a giant monster running at you, just shoot it. Or you'll be next on the menu." _Y'know,_ Sage thought seriously as Batman hurled two batarangs around the corner and knocked them down, _that could technically be Remnant's official motto._ Oz hummed in agreement while the two each delivered a knockout blow to their respective thug. They then slipped through the door to see further down two more goons watching a sealed-off room. A familiar-looking guard was slamming his hand and one hook on the other side of the security glass.

"Boss, it's done," one goon reported in his radio. "The room is full of gas and Captain Hook is stuck in there. Thing is, Razor couldn't get out in time. He's trapped in there too!"

" _Well, that will teach him to dilly-dally. Don't let anyone out of there. Even Razor. He's failed me and I don't like failures!_ "

"Yeah sure, boss. He was slowing us down anyway!" Sage glared at him for the comment and sneaked alongside his partner closer to the thugs.

"Don't cry, Cash," the other guy mocked the glowering guard as his friend put away the radio. "You're right where we want you."

" _I'm gonna get outta here, and you're gonna wish you were back in your cell!_ " Cash shot back defiantly. _He's a strong one, that's for sure,_ Oz complimented, a belief Oscar shared as they drew closer.

"Ha! Whatever, chump!" Then Batman slammed that thug's face against the glass while Sage smacked down the other with the Long Memory. Cash cheered them on before greeting them with a smirk.

"Cash, what happened?" Batman asked, flexing his fingers.

" _There was an alarm in Medical. I heard someone shouting and found the doc lying on the floor. When I went to help him, the room was flooded with gas. These doors locked down. We can't get out. Don't know how long we can last._ "

" _How brave!_ " Joker mocked through the radio. " _Let's give Mr. Cash a great big hand! He could use one._ " A dark chuckle rippled through the room.

" _You'll be laughin' out of your butt when I get outta here._ "

" _Lighten up, homes! I'm just messin' with ya._ "

" _Can't wait to return the favor._ "

"Leave it, Cash," Batman advised while examining the rooms the best he could. "Can you control the ventilation system in there?"

" _No can do, we're trapped in here. I can sit in here all night, but the Doc with me ain't lookin' too good._ " Batman grabbed Sage and grappled them up towards the ceiling, where swung them over to an air duct and tore the grate off its hinges. They quickly climbed in and found themselves in the lab, safely above the gas cloud. The older crime-fighter walked onto nearby bars and threw a batarang at a button just below them. As soon as the button was hit, a fan above it started up, sucking up some of the toxin. " _Batman, I don't know if you can hear this,_ " Cash announced over the speaker. " _Board's showing power to Fan One._ "

The room was substantially clearer, but there was still a lot of gas left. _We'll need to activate more than one fan,_ Oz explained as they jumped lower down to a clean spot. A goon that was holding onto a rope from the ceiling for dear life ( _probably Mr. Razor_ ) yelled, "Hurry up, willja?! You know what this stuff does!" Ignoring him, the pair hopped from one platform to the next until Batman could hit the next button with a projectile.

" _Power to Fan Two,_ " Cash reported, " _He's doing it, Doc. We'll be out of here soon; stay cool._ " Sure enough, the cloud was only at surface level now. Batman then turned, stared at the office underneath the hanging goon, and threw another batarang, this one cutting the rope and letting him crash through the office ceiling. No sooner had all the fragments fallen did he start laughing Shocked, Sage turned to his partner, "What are you-" before noticing a batarang offered to him. Upon Oz' prompting, he looked down at the office, and in understanding, took the projectile and hurled it with mental guidance and instinct down at the final control that was in the room and inaccessible before the thug had broken its roof.

" _All three fans are green,_ " Cash announced. " _We've got full power. Room should be empty any time now._ " As they jumped to the floor, Oscar turned to his partner and said, "S-sorry for not trusting you there." Batman just waved it off and checked on the thug's condition.

" _Surprise, surprise,_ " Joker called out sardonically, " _Batman and one of his sidekicks arrive just in the nick of time. Next time, Cash, I'll just shoot you and be done with it._ " Ignoring him, the tough guard forced the unlocked doors open and led the coughing doctor out.

They then joined up with the heroes. "I don't know. We lock him up, he gets out and more people die," Cash grumbled to himself, "If I just had one minute alone with that animal…"

"Don't do that to yourself, Officer," Oscar said, "you're a better man than that. Definitely a better man than him." Batman nodded in agreement while checking the room they'd just slipped out of.

Cash managed a half-smile at that and offered his one arm. "Thanks, kid. Y'got a name?"

"Sage." They shook.

"You're a good one yourself, Sage. Y'gotta be if you're willing to put up with all this crap." Oscar smiled and turned shy away as Batman returned to them. Together, they led the way out of Patient Observation and to the main complex. There was a brief bit of trouble when one of those big presents popped open to reveal a goon with a knife (and more teeth toys), but Sage disarmed and knocked him out with three clean swings of his cane. " _I've got ringside seats for the big event. Harley's bringing the popcorn. Oh, I can't wait!_ " Joker announced via intercom.

 _Big event? What's that monster up to now?_ Oscar wondered while retracting his cane and running with Batman to the Sanatorium.

 _I'm not sure. There were a good number of "supervillains" I helped Batman deal with, but of course, new threats have emerged since then. But whoever it is, they must be deadly if Joker sets them loose from an asylum meant for criminally troubled characters on us._ Digesting the information, he followed Batman to where the redhead doctor and her colleagues had been waiting. "Did you find them? Are they okay?" She anxiously asked.

"Yes, they're safe now." Batman replied.

"Batman! Sage!" Everyone present turned to see Cash and Dr. Young approaching. "We've got another problem!"

Dr Young stepped closer and spoke up. "I need to get back to the mansion. All my research notes are there. We can't risk Joker getting his hands on them."

"It's not safe, doctor. The island's a war zone. You won't stand a chance."

"It's my life's work! You really don't have the authority to-"

"I'll get her there, Batman!" Cash offered. "If you ask me, it's about time for a little payback." _He would have made a fine Huntsman on Remnant,_ Oz thought in approval, and Oscar couldn't disagree even if he wanted to. Both noticed something was off about the doctor; she was being too dodgy about her research. Why would Joker want her work?

Batman seemed unsure as well. "I don't like it, but-" he suddenly turned in the opposite direction where an alarm sounded. "Who called the elevator?"

"Wasn't us," the other doctor said, "It's coming from the lower floor!"

Batman immediately prioritized. "Cash, take Dr. Young! Get her notes and find somewhere safe to hole up. Everyone else, go to the Observation Room. Barricade yourselves in!" He then addressed his partner. "Ready, Sage?"

"As I'll ever be." The Dark Knight grappled to one of the gargoyles, drawing the attention of the goons swarming out of the elevator. Some brought their guns up, but too late; he was already out of sight. Sage in the meantime made sure all the others were safely out of the room before ducking out of sight. "The boss says they're in here somewhere, spread out!" One of the three told the others. Oscar crept backwards to avoid bumping into one, pulling out his weapon in the process. Fully extending it, he then stepped forward behind the thug and slipped the cane between his arms and pulled him back, forcing him onto the ground where the younger boy could knock him unconscious with a kick. Another perp had received the inverted takedown-treatment and was hanging from a gargoyle. The final one was whirling around, trying to aim his rifle everything at once. Sage had an idea and radioed it Batman, who agreed; he tapped his cane loudly against the floor, drawing the goon's attention. As he moved closer to the sound and was about to pull the trigger, he failed to notice the shadow descending upon him from behind. Then all he saw was darkness.

Both heroes then met up in front of the elevator. Sage eyed it cautiously and asked, "Another trap?"

"Most likely, but we don't have many other options. With the Joker, expect the unexpected." Still, they walked into the elevator, the gate shutting behind them and the machine making its descent.

Right on cue, Joker piped up again. " _Too easy! Think about it. I've got you both trapped in a little metal box. Hanging precariously over a deadly drop. What say I blow the emergency breaks and drop you like a sack of puppies?_ " Oscar felt his stomach twist in a knot at the idea, but he couldn't see a way out. " _Time to tuck you in, Junior. Say goodnight, Bats. Boom! Only kidding._ " The young mage barely stopped himself from summoning another force field and glared at the screen; Batman hadn't even moved. _This wouldn't be dramatic enough for his tastes._ " _Got a few more surprises in store for you guys. Prepare to face your fears._ " A hissing sound could barely be heard over the machinery. " _ALL of them!_ " As Joker signed off with a cackle, the elevator's passengers started coughing. Oscar couldn't help it; it felt like something was forcing its way down his throat, burning it all the while. He could swear he heard screams and inhuman howls, but he and Batman were the only ones in there.

Weren't they?

As the doors opened, cries could be heard. One very prevalent. "Please, Dr. Crane. Don't do this!" The hall led to a wall with an observation window, showing guards and doctors alike running around in panic while dark things seemed to flash around. Oscar ran over in worry, Batman following at a more cautious pace, to the glass. "They're all over me!"

"There is no Crane…" a voice said as they grew even more panicked in the room. " _ **Only Scarecrow!**_ " An inmate with some kind of apparatus on his face suddenly slammed against the glass, startling Oscar. "GET ME OUTTA HERE! PLEASE, SOMEONE! OH, GOD!" A dark shadow appeared in the background, hooded and with sharp needle-like claws. Then with another flash, it was gone. While Oscar fell back, eyes wide as saucers, Batman fiercely gripped the bars next to the window, trying to force them open. Someone flitted by on the other side, but they couldn't keep track of him.

As Batman walked away from the bars and helped Oscar up, Joker called out to them. " _Ohh, looks like the good doctor has started early. Your appointments aren't for hours. I'm sure you'll be buzzed through when he's ready. Tell me, Bats. What are you really scared of? Or you, lil Ozzy? Any skeletons in the closet? Hmm, quite a few things it could be for either of you. Failing to save this cesspool of a city? Not living up to the ol' Pinhead's expectations? Not finding the Commissioner in time? ME in a THONG?_ " More laughter, then nothing.

Oscar looked around, more unnerved than he had ever been in his life. And it wasn't just from Joker's last suggestion, nasty though that image may be. "Wh-wh-what's going on? Who's doing this?" He asked loudly while instinctively backing against the wall.

"Jonathan Crane, now goes by Scarecrow." Batman explained, voice darker than usual. Oscar thought he had gotten used to his ally's appearance, but somehow, he looked… demonic. "He developed a type of gas that triggers hallucinations, ones that cause fear. Whatever you're seeing right now, the terror coursing through your body, Sage, it's all artificial. It's not real."

Sage nodded numbly at this, trying to make sense of the information. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real…" he told himself a couple of times and drew out the Long Memory. He felt a little better with the ancient weapon in his hands. _Oz… did you ever…?_

 _Encounter him? No. This Doctor Crane and his poison must have appeared after my time. I've been poisoned, seen unnerving images over my many lives, but I've never felt this kind of fear before._ Batman had already moved to the left wall and was spraying his gel over it. The cement was then blown apart, showing a way of rock and metal mixed together. They followed the path, Oscar restraining himself from jumping with every little sound or shadow. Then as they were about to jump over a small hole, he heard something that made his blood freeze.

"Oscarrr…" Looking up, he saw Commissioner Gordon holding onto some bars sideways. "Please, help me, Batman," he wheezed before being dragged off with a grunt, "Nooo…" With a desperate yell, Oscar leaped over the obstacles and ripped open a grate, diving into it. He barely registered Batman following him or Ozpin talking, his adrenaline was through the roof. He struck the cane against the grate, knocking it across the room and climbed out to see someone slumped against the far wall. Batman climbed out after him, eyes blazing, and they saw it to be the Commissioner. "No…" the boy breathed as he stumbled over.

Batman checked his pulse, looked down, mumbling, "I'm sorry, Jim," then gently closed the father's lifeless eyes before getting up. Tears streamed down Oscar's cheeks as he leaned against the wall, barely noticing the man (or was it a monster?) waiting next to him. Batman put his hand to his ear. "Barbara, I… I'm sorry. I was too late." Oscar wept his own apologies, and even Ozpin seemed to be shedding some mental tears.

But the answer wasn't what they expected. " _I'm sorry, the number you have dialed isn't available. Please leave your message after the tone._ " All the while, the walls and ceilings flickered around, their view shifting sideways.

"Barbara?" Batman asked confused. "Are you there?" A light flashed at the end of the hall, and insects started crawling all over the place. Oscar kept his cane close, it along with Batman being the only things left that comforted him.

" _Please hang up your phone._ " Spiders squelched under their boots as a door came in sight. Batman carefully opened it and led the way through to an operation room while Oz spoke up again. _Oscar, something is very wrong here. Scarecrow's gas is completely twisting our perception. You need to calm down._

"Calm down?!" Oscar snapped, not even bothering to keep it a thought. "Commissioner Gordon's dead! We can't reach his daughter! Joker and Scarecrow are loose right now! And I still don't really know if you're straight with me, Ozpin!"

_Oscar, I swear I-_

"No! I've had it with all this. I never wanted this life, I never wanted your responsibilities, I- back off!" The scared teen suddenly swung at the large Bat that was reaching for him, eyes in fire and talons sharp. Then the whispers started; things like " _ **Shattered… Get out of here…**_ " and one particular word over and over again." _ **Fear**_ _,_ " Oscar couldn't take it anymore and went for the door again, ignoring the calls of the batman and Ozpin. "STOP TALKING TO ME!"

But as he opened the door, he found himself right back in the same room. This time, though, there was a large mirror on the other side. Somehow, the ex-farmhand felt compelled to walk over there; maybe he was hoping it was some kind of portal, a way out of this mess. Oscar saw himself in the mirror; a confused, scared fourteen-year old boy dressed like a Huntsman. There didn't seem to be anything special about the glass, not even when he touched it.

Then the lights flickered off for a moment, but nothing seemed out of place. Then Oscar noticed his reflection looked calmer than he should be… and his eyes were glowing gold. He jumped back, mumbling, "No, no, Ozpin, not yet…" but the reflection remained still, leaning on the Long Memory with the posture of someone far older than him. Another flicker, and mirror Oscar's clothing changed into a green tunic and brown pants underneath gray armor and a dark green cape flowing from the back. Then a third flicker, and Oscar's body was completely replaced; the same clothes, but a tall man with light-brown skin and brown hair and a sorrowful expression in his eyes.

"No, not yet, please," Oscar shook his head, recognizing the man. He was Ozma, the warrior of ancient times, the one chosen to stop Salem and redeem humanity. But this wasn't right, he should've had more time, the process of minds melding took longer…! Oscar told himself all this in a desperate attempt to calm himself, looking down at his hands…

But they were bigger than he remembered; and they weren't covered in gray gauntlets. "NO!" Oscar called out in a voice deeper than his as he saw his body was now Ozma's, no trace left of who he was, just another body for the wizard…

 _OSCAR!_ The shout rumbled through his mind, snapping his head up. It almost sounded like more than one voice had shouted just now. _Oscar, please,_ that was now just one voice, the same one he'd first started hearing a few months ago, back on the farm. But this time, it was gentler, almost pleading, like a parent trying to rouse his child from a nightmare. _It hasn't happened yet. Look again._ Oscar hurriedly looked at his arms, his legs, his torso…

And breathed in relief upon realizing they were his again. _I'm so sorry for all of this, Oscar. I wish you hadn't been forced into this madness. None of my previous lives had any say in the matter. But I swore to them as I swear to you now:_ _you are not alone_ _. This is your body, your time; you can still make your own decisions, and you won't just disappear. I refuse to let that happen._ New tears came, but these were happier; the tone was so sincere and soothing that Oscar felt himself calm down again.

"Thanks, Oz," Sage said with a little smile, wiping his eyes and picking up the Long Memory (he didn't even remember dropping it). "Let's get out of- where are we?" His phrase got twisted around as he looked at his surroundings. On one side was the morgue, normal as ever, but the rest of the room trailed off into some crazy patchwork realm dangling over an abyss. Lightning flashed and a cold wind blew as some parts of the asylum could be seen mingled together. Confused, Oscar carefully started moving along the path, "Maybe there's an exit on the other side".

As he jumped to a ledge and pulled himself up onto relatively solid ground, a disturbing cackle rippled through his head, this one different from Joker's. A giant set of syringes attached to fingers appeared out of nowhere to rest on the wall the teen was leaning against, who ducked out of sight as a hooded figure rose from the abyss. His face looked like that of a humongous doll, with eyes glowing like suns and a noose wrapped around his brown-fabric clad neck. " _ **Dear, lost child. You're in my world now!**_ " The thing taunted as it supported itself on the twisted walls, then pushed itself to its full height. It then started slowly turning around, focusing its gaze on anything. _I'm guessing this is Scarecrow?_ Oscar thought with forced calm, trying to make as little noise as possible.

 _I believe so, or at least, an illusion of him. The effects of his gas have twisted your senses quite thoroughly, but he isn't aware of where you are. Let's keep it that way for now._ Sage nodded and slipped behind a different wall while Scarecrow was focused on something to his right. He then ran and hid at different intervals whenever the villain's gaze drifted near him, taunting, " _ **I thought I would only have the little Bat to play with, but a child's fears are always so exciting. So pure.**_ " Oscar's body briefly turned into that of Ozma, but he ignored it this time, focusing on the path ahead. A wall blocked his way, but he took out his cane and thrust it against the rock, summoning his magic. A tiny burst of green energy, and the wall was blown apart, but it alerted Scarecrow who focused on the spot. " _ **Wait, what are you up to?**_ "

As the giant's searing gaze drifted over various parts of his hiding place, Sage saw a chance and jumped forward, avoiding his notice and climbing on to the next part. _Up ahead,_ Oz encouraged him to look as he jumped over a ravine and onto safe ground. A little further in front was a collection of gears, connected to each other and with a pedestal mounted on top. The young warrior ran over to it, Scarecrow still distracted, and climbed up to the pedestal. It showed a small square hole. After a moment of thought, Sage realized what he had to do; he took out the Long Memory, fit its base into the hole as far as it could go, then turned it clockwise. The gears beneath him started turning, and just as Scarecrow noticed him, green light surged from the contraption, blanketing the entire realm. " _ **NO!**_ "

* * *

Oscar opened his eyes to see he was still in the morgue, but the mirror was gone, and Batman was standing on a platform surrounded by gurneys. He looked as shaken as the boy but recomposed himself and leaped over the railing to him. "Oscar?" The man asked, gently grabbing him by the shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah, I'm better now," Oscar replied, managing a shaky smile and patting the older hero's arms. "I just- I didn't see that coming."

Batman still looked concerned but returned the smile. "Crane's fear gas was more powerful than last time. I'm sorry we weren't prepared for it." Oscar nodded. "You were brave for enduring it." Then their comms chimed.

" _Can you guys hear me? Oscar! Bruce! What's going on?!_ " Oracle called them, sounding a little panicked.

Sage put his finger to the communicator and answered. "Oracle, we're okay."

" _What happened? I lost contact. Are you sure you two are all right? Have you found my dad?_ " Oscar's guts wrenched at having to tell her the bad news, but Batman raised a finger and took over.

"We're fine. Had a little run-in with Scarecrow, slowed us down. We'll get back to you in a bit." Ending the conversation, the Dark Knight focused briefly on a jar full of tiny pieces of meat in liquid (earning this comment from Riddler, " _Another one?! Can it be? No, there's no way. you two can't find them all, it's impossible._ " "Nice hearing from you, too, Eddie.") then led the way out of the room. Preempting Sage's question, he said, "I'm not sure what was real or not just now. Let's take another look before we give her any news." Green arrows were spray-painted on the ground, and as they reached the end of the route, the door opposite to them had a nasty smile painted in front.

But that was of lesser interest to the two. Oscar ran over to the body they'd seen before and was relieved at what he saw now. "It's not Gordon!"

"It never was. Crane's gas must've affected us more than we thought. He could still be alive, Oscar." Oscar smiled back at him, then watched a little confused as he started spraying another Explosive Gel-bat on the floor in front of the door.

Joker called out again. " _Are you lost, little Bat? Or you, Ozzy 2.0? Having trouble figuring out what's real and what's just a figment of your twisted little minds? Same here! Heheheh, just roll with it, boyos! It gets easier when you give in. It really does._ " Then the door burst open to three thugs eager for a fight… and waltzing onto the gel on the floor.

The explosion wasn't lethal, but it did shake them up enough to make them easy pickings. Sage punched one out while Batman did the other two simultaneously. " _Listen: No. More. Tricks. Just last puzzle and you two can have Gordon. And a little more. Oh, I can't wait! Shame Ozzy isn't here for this._ " Joker finished his taunt with a wistful sigh. More arrows led up a flight of stairs and another hall to a small room. Before they opened the door pointed out, Oscar stopped and addressed both of his allies. "Hey, listen, I-I'm sorry for freaking out back there. I'm really glad I'm not alone in this."

"So am I,"/ _So am I, Oscar._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I could've had Oscar rescue Dr. Chen and beat up a dozen thugs, buuuut after a bit of thought and some reviewers' wishes, I couldn't resist the Wizard of Oz reference. Eh, hope I still made this fun!


	6. Chapter 5: Battered, But Unbroken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon's finally within reach, but Joker, of course, has another surprise for them. A blast from Batman and Oz' past.

As soon as they opened the door, the screen in the upper corner flickered to life. " _Your precious police commissioner is just through the glass. Take a look!_ " Joker explained with a cruel grin. To the right led a hall ending in a wall with an observation window. When the pair drew closer, they could see Harley holding an assault rifle and annoying the commissioner tied to a wooden chair. " _Harley's under strict instructions to kill the old man if any of my guys even think that one or both of you are in the room. They're patrolling down there. I've told 'em all you're on the way. So here's the deal: if you two can find a way to get to Harley without anyone realizing, I'll give you your next present. Fail, and the old codger dies. Hell, I may even give you Harley. It looks like you could use another new sidekick, Bats. And then Ozzy's brat would have a big sister!_ " Even as the message ended, Sage could hear the caped hero's teeth grinding, but he shook it off and, as quietly as possible, removed the grate of an air vent to crawl into. Batman took a quick glance at a teddy bear sitting on the desk next to him, then led the way down the metal path to where they slipped out of one to the next.

"Joker's not messin'," one goon could be heard saying, "He wants the old man kept safe from Batman and his little buddy. Anyone gets near him and it won't be me carrying the can!" _Their camaraderie is inspiring,_ Ozpin noted sarcastically while Oscar crawled a little further.

"No problem! Nobody's gettin' past me. Batman'll be a dead man and I'll be famous!"

"Whatever. Get over there and keep looking! And remember, if you see the kid with the green jacket and the stick, bring him to Joker. Alive." Batman nudged the grate in front of him out and gently shoved it to the side. They then slipped out and into the nearest dark corners.

"What's so special about a kid?"

"Don't know, don't care. Just do what the guy says!" Batman then snuck up behind the goon right in front of him and grabbed him in a sleeper hold; after a few seconds, the man went limp. Another Joker-reminder blared, " _Remember, you even smell a man in tights or a leprechaun, and Harley kills the old man._ " Undaunted, the crime-fighter turned his gaze across the entire room before looking back at Sage.

"Four men in total. We each handle two before taking care of Quinn. Stay out of sight." The budding wizard nodded, understanding Gordon's life was at stake, and moved for a nearby open air duct while Batman darted to the left. Pulling himself up the confined space, Oscar snatched up another Riddler trophy and exited just behind a thug facing the other way. He kicked a leg and forced him to lurch, then wrapped both arms around the guy's mouth and nose, smothering him into unconsciousness. Gently setting him down, he then crept underneath the railing towards another target.

Harley hadn't noticed anything, judging from her chatting. " _When Mr. J kills Batman, we're gonna get married. Hey, maybe we could even adopt that cute kid, that would be so cool!_ "

She started humming some kind of song without any discernable melody or tune before Gordon spat back, " _Keep your trap shut. You won't get away with this. And if you or that psycho goes anywhere near the boy, so help me, I'll-_ " Sage had meanwhile reached the last remaining thug; Batman had just knocked out his two. The teen drew his cane and slipped it over the bigger man's neck, pulling him down, then struck his skull with it. That finished the job, and Oscar steadily made his way over to his partner. Together, they grappled up, grabbed another trophy (apparently completing 25% of Riddler's challenges, going from his comment), and walked to the glass part right over the crazy woman and her hostage.

" _Aw, relax, you old fart, I swear I ain't gonna hurt him, he's too adorable lookin' for that!_ " Oscar tried not to blush. " _And Mr. J said he jus' wants ta ask a couple of questions about Ozzy. I wonder how he's doin', he was nicer than Batman. Anyways, keep yapping and I'll forget you're bait!_ " Then glass shattered, and she looked up just in time for her face to meet a black boot. Quinn fell with a grunt, gun clattering out of her hands, while the two heroes landed.

"Heh, you two took longer than I thought." Gordon joked while Batman moved to free him and Sage disassembled the rifle. Upon noticing the kid's worried look, the old man smiled. "Relax, I look worse than I am. You can't be commissioner without taking a few shots." _Glad to have you back, James,_ Oz thought relieved as Batman cut his bonds.

The cowl-clad crusader was less optimistic. "He's out of control. He's trying to prove something. I'm not sure I can stop him this time."

"Hey, we've made it this far," Sage said. "Joker can still be stopped."

Gordon nodded as he got up and rubbed his wrists. "You two'll do it. Batman, listen. We're not alone; he's got something else down here. I don't know what it is." Together, all three looked down at the heavy rectangular cage inside the bigger room.

" _What a blabbermouth!_ " Joker complained from the screen above them. " _Spoiling the surprise. Like I didn't have enough monkey wrenches thrown into my plans with Ozzy's bastard thrown in the mix._ "

"Be quiet," Batman growled while leading them out of the observation platform.

" _Oh? Am I getting to you? Am I? Good!_ " a cackle as they went down the stairs, then, " _You're going to love this next bit._ " They cautiously entered the cage, steam wafting from it. Oscar could barely see what was in front of him while Batman was clearly wary.

Gordon found a computer on the table inside and started typing in commands. "It wants Dr. Young's log-in." he mumbled, making Oscar turn his head at the name.

"Dr. Young? It sounded like Joker was interested in her before. What does she have to do with all this?" the farmhand asked out loud.

"Never mind that," Batman said, stepping in front of the two. "Get behind me. Now!" The trio slowly backed up as the mist cleared, revealing the cage's occupant hanging from its ceiling: a scrawny man wearing a wrestler's mask, strapped to some kind of machine. Large tubes and pumps were attached to him.

Both Batman and Ozpin recognized him. "Bane!"/ _Bane!_ The shocked professor quickly explained, knowing what his successor wanted to ask, _He was one of eight assassins sent to kill Batman. He was formidable both in body and mind; we had a difficult time defeating him. But… Bane was much larger than he is now. Stronger, too._

"I thought he broke out of Blackgate!" Gordon said, just as surprised.

"Cut…me…down…" The man groaned; not exactly the monster Ozpin remembered, in Oscar's opinion, but he held the Long Memory's handle out just the same.

Batman asked, "Who did this to you?"

"Dr. Young… the _bruja_. She drained the Venom from my blood. Must… stop… her…" _Venom? What's he talking about, Oz?_

Joker showed on the screen before Sage got an answer. " _Sorry, Has-Bane. The good doctor won't be a problem any longer. How do you like my puppet? What say we cut him down?_ " The clown then pulled out a remote and pressed the button. Immediately, lights flashed in warning and machines on their end started whirring, and the tubes connected to Bane began filling up with some green liquid. The man's pained moaning slowly turned to growls while his muscles bulged and grew. _Oh no,_ Oz whispered as his eyes and some veins glowed green.

"Gordon, Sage, run!" Batman yelled as they all backed out of the cage. His transformation complete, Bane was detached from the ceiling and landed on his feet with a grunt; he was now three times as big as an ordinary man. He then barreled out of the red mist straight for Batman, who ducked under his giant fists. The detective threw a punch at his face, but it didn't have any effect. The larger man grabbed him with a roar, lifted him above his shoulders and hurled him full-force at the wall. Sage jumped in and intercepted his partner, summoning a green shield in the process; they crashed straight through the brick, but the barrier saved both from breaking their bones.

Groaning, Oscar and Batman pushed themselves to their feet just as Bane stomped through the hole. They were now in the boiler room of the facility " _Play nice, ladies,_ " Joker taunted. " _Oh, and big guy, you might wanna take a look at what the kid's got._ " Bane simply laughed with confidence and charged at Batman who first stunned him with a batarang, then rolled out of the way. Bane's momentum made him crash into the wall, making him grunt a bit. The man shook his head, bellowed, "YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME AGAIN!", before running again, choosing Sage as a target this time. _He's too powerful to fight head-on,_ Oz warned, _you need to stun him first._ So the emerald-clad hero jabbed upwards with his cane, striking the brute's head in mid-run, then dived between his legs as he collided with another wall. As he stumbled a bit, Batman nodded to him and the pair began beating down on him. Batman then flipped onto the bigger man's back, ripping out one of his tubes. As he howled, Ozpin continued, _Venom is the compound that strengthens Bane, but he requires the storage tank attached to him to keep fueling him. Remove the tubes, and he will weaken._

But Bane had already roused himself and forced them to retreat. His eyes narrowed as he tracked Sage's weapon. "THAT CANE… _EL MAGO VERDE!_ " He bellowed, smashing his fist on the ground and sending out a small tremor. Joker however was unimpressed. " _Yesyesyes, the brat's somehow related to our old classy buddy, Ozzy Pin, but come on! I went through all this trouble, and that's the best you got, Bane?_ " A sigh, then, " _Help him out, boys._ " A group of goons jumped down to their level, ready to fight.

Batman and Sage stood back-to-back. "Focus on the grunts while I deal with Bane," the older man ordered, to which Oscar nodded. They then split apart and felled one thug each.

"I WILL SHATTER YOUR SPINES!" Bane swore, miming a back-breaking motion with his hands and knee; he then tore a large chunk of the room's support pillar out and hurled it straight at the two. Both evaded, but one grunt wasn't so lucky and got crushed. Sage twisted and turned, striking with the Long Memory where he could. Goons yelped and cried out in pain before they went down. It helped a bit that Batman sometimes steered Bane into bowling over some of them. Once, Bane came close to grabbing him, but Sage flipped one perp against his back and distracted him long enough for Batman to slip away. Soon enough, he had detached another tube from the big guy's tank, and all of Joker's men were out.

Too bad neither Bane nor Joker were willing to call it quits. " _Need a little help snapping a kid in two, Bane-y? Well okay then. Boys!_ " More thugs joined the battle as Bane hurled more rubble at the pair. This time, Oscar accidently put too much distance from the weaker guys and was the one who got stuck with avoiding the giant's blows and charges. He couldn't even counterattack, Bane was faster than he looked. Batman did what he could in trying to separate the two, but he had to keep beating down Joker's henchmen, and Bane had clearly chosen his new target. _Um, Oz?_ the boy thought reluctantly while jumping out of reach for a few seconds, _Could you… step in? Just this once?_

 _Only with your permission._ Oscar nodded once; his eyes flashed gold, then Ozpin stood tall and took his stance. Bane simply growled and charged at him, but he was already in motion. Oz twirled his cane like a fencing master, redirecting the heavy limbs with precise blows and striking at the torso and legs. The mage was simply too swift for him to keep track of as he moved around his body. As the colossus activated his harness and pumped more Venom into him, he laughed triumphantly and ripped more of the support pillars to hurl at the boy. As he evaded, Bane tracked his steps and shot out a right hook. Ozpin remained calm, though; he leaned out of the way, reached out and swung himself onto his opponent's giant arm, from there jabbing straight at Bane's masked face. As Bane flailed about, off-balance, Ozpin slid over to his back and removed the last big tube with a good yank, making the villain cry out in frustration as his precious Venom spilled out onto the floor.

Bane stumbled over to another pillar and tried tearing it out, but only partially succeeded. Batman had dispatched the last of Joker's mooks and assaulted him with more batarangs until the villain gave up and clumsily stepped into the center of the room. It however began shaking violently; as Oz handed back control to Oscar, he noted, _Probably the damage to the support pillars. This entire place is about to come down!_ Heavy rubble started falling all over them, more than a few pipes and stones bringing Bane to his knees. Batman quickly fired his grapple, swung over to grab Oscar, and pulled them to safety.

Outside, a manhole cover was pushed out of the way, and Sage tiredly climbed out. Panting, he then made room to help Batman out. Both kneeled over just to rest a bit before the Dark Knight typed something into his left gauntlet. Oscar swore he could hear an engine in the distance when two right hands came into view. "Man, you two look like you've been having fun," McQueen said, standing next to Richards and Gordon who put his hand on Batman's shoulder.

"Batman, Oscar, you two okay?" The Commissioner asked as his officers gently pulled them onto their feet.

"We're still in one piece, thanks," Oscar joked, letting go of Richards' hand. "What about you two?"

"We're good, kid," the young man said with a thumbs-up. "Back when the alarms went off, we sped back to help the guards here. Joker's toadies have been giving us a hard time, but we're not dead, so that's a plus." McQueen gave him a sidelong glance.

Batman turned to Gordon. "Where's Quinn?"

"Gone! Must've slipped away while Bane was throwing you around."

"We need to get you off the island." McQueen looked offended, but Sage held his hands up placatingly.

But Gordon wouldn't budge. "I'm not a rookie, I can take care of myself. So can these two-" Then the wall exploded, knocking them all to the ground, and Bane stomped out with a roar. The officers pulled out their sidearms and fired while Sage extended his cane, but the villain swatted them away before grabbing hold of Batman.

Lifting him at eye-level, Bane growled, "I WILL BREAK YOU, BATMAN! THEN THE _CHAMACO_! THEN THE _BRUJA_! AND FINALLY OZPIN!"

"No, Bane!" Batman replied as engine noises drew closer. "This time, I break you!" Lights flashed on Bane's side, making him look to see the Batmobile barreling down the path straight at him. Batman then kicked off his chest just before the car collided with him, making both splash into the water. They sunk like stones.

The group walked to the edge to be sure Bane wouldn't pop out, but not even bubbles rose to the surface. "Thought you had a 'no-killing' rule?" McQueen teased.

"That probably won't kill him," Sage spoke in his defense. They all started walking towards the small port; a boat had just arrived. _Thanks for the help back there, Oz. And asking for permission this time._

_Thank_ _ you _ _for letting me assist._

_But I do have one question now;_ A little smirk spread on the boy's face, _do you happen to know any oversized guys that_ _don't_ _want to kill you?_

 _One or two._ Batman meanwhile continued to persist for his friend's safety. "Jim, get back to the mainland. It's too dangerous here."

"I don't like leaving you here alone."

"I'm not alone," Batman gestured to Sage. Preempting any further protests, he continued. "The radio claims he's planted bombs all over Gotham. Gotham will panic. You're needed there, Jim, and you'll need every good officer available."

At this, Gordon and the other two relented, climbing onto the boat. Before it started up, the leader asked, "Bane called Dr. Young ' _bruja._ ' What's it mean?"

Batman already turned back toward the complex. "It's Spanish. For witch." Then the boat drove off, leaving the two heroes alone. As they walked across the boards, he explained to Oscar, "The other things Bane said, ' _chamaco_ ,' means child, and ' _el mago verde,_ ' the green wizard. Ozpin left an impression when he came to Gotham. Looks like you're doing the same, Sage."

"I'm not completely sure that's a good thing," Sage replied, still in thought over the battle, and the words preempting it. "Dr. Young's name keeps showing up on this island; first she gets targeted by Joker's men, then she's worried about her research winding up in his hands, and now all this with Bane…" he gestured to the water. "Sorry about your car, by the way."

"Had to be done. Besides, we have other priorities." Batman then called their support. "Oracle, go through the city's computers. Pull up all you can find on Dr. Young. I'll go through anything you find once we get to the cave."

"Cave?" Oscar asked confused; even Ozpin seemed perplexed. Oracle too. " _A Batcave? On_ _Arkham Island?_ "

"I built it years ago. It's best to plan ahead for situations like this."

" _How'd you manage to keep_ _this_ _a secret?_ "

Batman didn't hide his smirk. "It's me, remember?" _No offense, Oz,_ Oscar thought in wonder, _but you've got serious competition._

 _Tell me about it._ " _So do you think Dr. Young's been experimenting with Venom, the same chemical that turns Bane into that animal?_ "

"Yes. I'm worried; Bane seemed even more powerful than usual. I haven't seen him like that since my first encounter with Ozpin and Joker. Joker wants the Venom, and that can only mean trouble." Both old and new wizard agreed with the statement; Oscar could see the memories of Bane from five years, and there wasn't much difference between then and now. "We're heading to Dead Man's Point in Arkham North. I'll contact you once we're in the Batcave." Shutting off the comms, he turned to his teenaged ally. "There we can also discuss your involvement with Ozpin." Sage nodded, feeling the truth needed to be told eventually. "This way." They broke into a sprint towards the buildings, taking out any thugs that got in their way as quickly as possible. Their path took them to the Visitor Center, where after beating down the goons that were still working on the giant picture and attacked them, they briefly walked in for any clues.

Just like last time, the Joker-like body with the TV for a head was sitting behind the glass, though its posture was different. The screen switched to show Joker. " _You're late for your group appointment! Very rude. Well, seeing as you two are here, we might as well get started. Tell me about your childhoods. Anything stand out? Are those tears I see? Too pianful? Well, children tend to be more emotional, but you, Bats? We'll come back to it later. How about Baney-Boy? Bet you guys were shocked to see him, weren't you? It's too sad that Ozzy wasn't here to partake in the reunion. The big lump just hasn't been the same since he left. Lost most of his vocabulary and his sense of hygiene. Personally, I was hoping he would fold Bats up like a piece of paper and let me stamp him crazy, and squeeze Junior into a bobble-head, but even I don't get everything I want!_ " "Which we're all grateful for," Sage muttered as the message continued. " _So what was he doing here? Oh, questions, questions, questions._ " And with that, the message ended, and they left the room in thought; no slipping up from Joker yet.

Back outside, Batman led the way through the gate marked Arkham North. While sprinting, Oscar asked, "So what's the deal about Dead Man's Point? Doesn't sound all that inviting."

" _Yeah, the cliff got that name for being a favorite suicide location on Arkham Island for over a hundred years._ " Oracle chimed in.

Batman took over while opening a door that brought them to the courtyard part of the facility. "Yeah, I know. I once saved an unfortunate inmate from leaping off into the rocks below. I found a cave entrance and moved a number of supplies here. It's a regular home away from home." Another group of thugs confronted them in the middle of the yard, but they were little trouble at this point.

 _Ever do something like that?_ Oscar honestly wondered while knocking the knife out of one thug's hand and leg-sweeping another. _Create a secret base somewhere that no one would know of, but you could reach even in another life?_

_Of course. There were plenty of times where I was more well-off and could -ah, watch it; the one with the knife there is only dazed- hide certain resources that would be useful later. A chest of funds buried under one particular tree, some useful documents and supplies locked in a bank vault that only I knew how to access, you get the idea. And not only objects or places, but people that I was certain were reliable would aid me if I perished and returned to them at agreed meetings. It is how I operated before I helped found the Huntsmen academies decades ago. After that, -good punch there, by the way- the headmasters and a select few Huntsmen took up the previous form of arrangement I used. We did something similar, remember?_

_Right,_ Oscar's memories drifted to back when he finally caved to Oz' pestering and headed to Haven Academy. Qrow had been waiting there with the Long Memory. That had also been the moment where he had made some of the best friends he could've asked for. The memories remained even as he watched Batman pull himself onto a brick wall. The masked man turned to him and extended his arms from his perch; Sage in turn took a few steps back, then ran straight towards the wall, jabbing his fully-extended cane into the ground and pushing himself towards the waiting arms. A second after he was pulled up, they hopped off the wall and ran for an entrance in the mountainside.

The path was broader than the halls of Arkham, and the stone walls were a nice change from all the artificial constructions. Batman grappled them up ledges, opened an old-fashioned door with rusty hinges and led the way straight to a large chamber with an opening to the outside slightly above them, and some kind of pedestal where a couple of skulls laid. The detective stopped a second to blow up part of the right wall to collect yet another trophy, then they pulled themselves up towards the opening.

They now stood on a cliff, rock and vegetation surrounding them. The rain had lessened to a few droplets as they saw Gotham City in the distance. From this perspective, it looked rather peaceful. Batman moved closer to the edge and said, "Climb on." Sage, urged by Ozpin's assurances, hopped onto his back and held tight; then the Dark Knight jumped without hesitation from the cliff. They fell for a while before he unfurled his cape, expertly gliding even with a small passenger next to the walls until he saw a cave and banked. Pebbles flew as Batman skidded to a graceful stop. His partner detached himself and they moved towards the inside. A light-blue light suddenly appeared from the back wall and swept first over Batman, then Sage. " _Warning, unauthorized individual. Activating countermeasures._ " More machines could be heard behind the wall, Oscar took a cautious step.

"Override on my authority," Batman said calmly. "Code 9-1-9-3-9. Confirm identity and command."

" _Identity and command confirmed. Code accepted._ " A portion of the rock slid down into the dirt. " _Disabling countermeasures. Security deactivated._ " Batman then marched straight into the tunnel, motioning for his partner to follow. The further they went, the more the walls were constructed from brick, and artificial lights could be seen further down. They then went underneath a small waterfall, the cool liquid actually feeling refreshing for Oscar after the night he had, and came into a hexagonal ( _Octagonal, it has eight points,_ Oz corrected him) corridor suspended above the ground. "On," Batman commanded, and lights activated. The boy couldn't help but look in awe as he saw the platform in the center of the giant cave, with other objects covered in cloth and hanging by chains from the ceiling. On the platform were large heavy boxes surrounding the array of screens underneath a chair and keyboard.

 _Oz, I think we could learn a thing or two from Batman,_ Oscar thought in complete honesty as he turned 360 degrees to see the entire Batcave.

 _I'm already taking notes._ The teen stopped himself from sniggering as Batman finished typing something onto the computer. Some screens lit up, one in particular with a young red-haired woman with glasses. She looked a little surprised too. "Oracle," Batman nodded at her, then turned to Oscar. "It's time we had a talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's short, but I wanted to focus on the Bane fight in this one. Enjoy!


	7. Chapter 6: Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for two old comrades-in-arms and friends to meet.

( _Note: This chapter is told completely from Batman's point of view._ )

As they hurried along the cavern walls, Batman's thoughts raced. Joker's plans, whatever Dr. Young had been up to… and the boy running next to him. As soon as he saw that cane in Officer McQueen's hand, he'd recognized it. And Oscar, the way he fought, the things he knew about the villains, about Batman himself, there was no doubt anymore; he was deeply connected to Ozpin, not just as acquaintances.

Against his urging, the crimefighter's mind drifted back to eight years ago, on a snow-caked rooftop…

* * *

_As the Batwing hovered on standby, Batman took another look at his supposed ally. Six-and-a-half feet tall, clad in a three-piece dark-green suit with cravat yet showing no discomfort at the frigid temperatures, silver hair and an odd cane supporting both of his hands. Long and ornate, yet obviously durable (as Killer Croc could attest to), his cowl couldn't identify what it was even made of, let alone its capabilities. That object was one of two things he felt uneasy about the man._

_The other thing was the eyes; brown eyes barely visible thanks to the small tinted glasses resting on his nose. They gleamed with intelligence, carefully analyzing every part of the detective even as he tried doing the same. And they seemed… old. This man looked like he was forty years old at the most, but he reminded Bruce of his former master, Kirigi; possessing a form of ancient wisdom, someone who had seen and done many things, some terrible, but still stood tall despite these memories. Whoever the man was, he wasn't to be taken lightly._

" _I believe you had questions for me?" The man asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. His demeanor calm, he raised one hand from its perch and tapped himself on his chest. "Well, to start, I am rather new to this city. In fact, I only arrived this evening."_

" _How?"_

" _That, I cannot answer, because, truthfully, I am unsure of how it happened. Someone sent me here, intentionally or by accident, and I suppose it could be to lend aid."_

_Batman frowned in thought. "I don't know you. You don't seem to have any kind of kind of record in the country, let alone Gotham. The way you fight is different from any martial arts I've seen before, and I've seen and learned more than a few. And that's not even considering that green power you showed." He fixed the man with a stare as cold as the air blowing around them. "Why on Earth would I trust you to help?"_

" _Earth, eh? Interesting…" The man murmured before looking at the other buildings. "This Black Mask you mentioned is planning something, that much is obvious, and he has little scruples about who perishes in his dealings. Whatever his schemes are, I have no intention of merely standing by and let him have his way. Besides," he then turned back to return the young vigilante's gaze. "You may need more help than you would care to admit. Black Mask has arranged for assassins to come after you, and even though you are clearly skilled, your own fighting style still shows flaws. You put too much force in your attacks, your stances are rigid, obstructing fluidity. And you show your emotions." Chuckling a bit at Batman's shock and his attempt to hide it, he continued. "Perhaps not with your face, but your posture is another story. Your attitude, your costume, your tactics… they all scream a story of outrage, despair. Vengeance. I know what I speak of; where I'm from, warriors are plentiful, and I am the headmaster of an academy dedicated to training them. So part of my offer involves refining your style while we work together."_

" _Why should I trust you? You could just as easily be one of these assassins, trying to lure me into a trap. Maybe I should just turn you in."_

" _Turn me in to whom? The police who are either bribed to shoot you on sight or arrest you as well because you work against the law? Blackgate is currently in shambles. It couldn't hold me for more than half an hour at best. And if I wished to do you harm, Batman," His voice hardened a bit at this point, "I would have done so already." Then it softened again. "But I'm not looking for a fight with you. I know you have no reason to like or trust me, but from everything I've seen so far, Gotham City is most certainly in danger, and I refuse to let innocent lives be taken. And something tells me you share this view. I will attempt to stop Black Mask and his operations one way or another, but we would most likely be more effective as a team. Please," He gently said, extending his open right hand, "let me help."_

_Batman stared at the hand, and the man offering it. He must be hiding something, but he was right about a lot of things; the difference in their skill alone was noticeable, so he wasn't sure he could win. This man could beat him down or turn him over to Black Mask or Gordon and then go off on his own, but here he was, offering an alliance instead. Gotham_ _ was _ _in danger, and there wasn't any time to waste. He didn't even fully what Black Mask had in store for him. Batman ground his teeth a bit, but he knew what his next move would be._

_He reached out and shook the man's hand. "Fine," he grumbled. "But you better understand the risks, and that I'll be watching you. If I think you'll stab me in the back, I'll take you down."_

_A conceding smile spread on the man's face. "Fair enough. Ah, but where are my manners? I just realized I never gave you a name. Apologies._

" _I am called Ozpin."_

* * *

The words played over in his head as the two reached the more mechanical part of the Batcave. Gliding down to the main platform, Oscar in tow, Batman called out, "On," the computer activating in acknowledgement of his voice print. As Oscar slowed down and gazed in amazement of the base he found himself in, the seasoned vigilante strode up to the computer and typed in a series of commands. One of the monitors lit up with Barbara's face while another started playing a recording of Sage fighting against various adversaries. "Oracle," he nodded at his longtime ally who seemed to have been put off-guard. He then turned to the cave's visitor who was apparently amused about something. "It's time we had a talk."

The statement quickly sucked away Oscar's humor, prompting him to look down nervously. " _O-kayyy…_ " Barbara said after a moment, " _wasn't expecting a face-to-face meeting, but what the heck? Hey, I'm Barbara Gordon, nice to meet you, sorry it's not in person._ "

Oscar looked up with a shy smile. "H-hi, my name's Oscar Pine… even though you probably knew that already…" He then remembered something. "Oh, and, uh, your dad's on a boat heading for Gotham. Sorry it took us so long to get him to safety."

" _No need to apologize for that, Oscar._ " Barbara said with a grateful smile. " _I owe you guys big time for this. Dad's… well, he means a lot to me._ "

"Of course," Batman said softly; memories of his own father were rising again, and sadly he didn't have the luxury of time to focus on them. So he shifted track of the conversation. "But we've got more to discuss at the moment. Especially considering you, Oscar." Noting the boy's rising anxiety, he made sure to keep his tone calm and peaceful. "When I first saw that cane, I knew for a fact it belonged to Ozpin. Its design, details and composition are exactly the same as when we first met years ago. Judging by Joker, Bane, Croc and Commissioner Gordon's reactions to it, I haven't let nostalgia cloud my judgement. But that's not the only thing that's curious about you." He pointed to the screen showing Sage fighting, then brought up another video. This one was a recording of Ozpin in battle on the Final Offer. The images were played parallel to each other with digital arrows highlighting key parts. "Your combat skills are very similar to Ozpin's. Versatile, swift, adaptable. Transitioning from offense to defense, from one-handed to two-handed stances to suit the current opponent. But they're not exactly the same style; yours is less refined, more emotional. You also use the fact you're shorter than him to your advantage." Oscar stared at the screens, noting everything said and shown from the looks of it.

But Batman wasn't done. "If that were everything, one could think you're just an apprentice who's been trained to fight like him. Ozpin may have told you about his time in Gotham and entrusted you with the cane. The latter alone is unlikely, considering how attached he is to it, but possible." His eyes narrowed. "Except you adapted very quickly to battling enemies who can't use Aura, even though you've should've grown up in an environment where everyone possesses it." Noting the boy's eyes widening, he added. "Ozpin took a while to open up about Remnant, but when he did, he told me many things. And you show more than just basic knowledge of the people here. You asked questions when dealing with Zsasz, Quinn and Scarecrow, which makes sense since they all came after Ozpin's time. But the rest, you almost seemed to recognize them; there was little shock after the first meeting. That moment with Riddler, you knew exactly how to push his buttons. And then, towards the end of your battle with Bane, you were at first close to being overwhelmed, but then you started fighting a lot more like Ozpin and took control.

"Then there are your facial expressions; throughout our time together, you keep looking like you're taking part in a conversation, but not actually talking to someone. Twitches, frowns, shifting of the eyes. And at the time, I couldn't really focus on it, but when we felt the effects of Crane's gas, I could hear you yelling, 'I never asked for your responsibilities.' It even sounded like you were directly addressing Ozpin. Maybe it was a hallucination, or maybe it was something else."

The teen was growing more nervous as the explanations continued; sweat was glistening on his brow, and his hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. Batman sighed. "Easy, Oscar. This isn't an interrogation." He then did something neither Oscar nor Barbara expected: he reached up and pulled off his mask.

Both stared at Bruce Wayne's open face which remained stoic as ever, but his voice softened. "Ozpin came into my life at a time where I was still young and making mistakes. He took his time to train me, help me protect Gotham. I wasn't exaggerating before when I said that it's thanks to him that Jim and I are still alive, let alone working together." He gestured at the screen showing his onetime ally's face. "Before he left, Ozpin told me that if we ever met again, he may not have the same face I remember."

" _Oz didn't just inspire Batman,_ " Oracle chimed in. " _He encouraged me to take a stand for what I think is right, so I became a crimefighter too. He helped a lot of people in this city. So please, Oscar. Explain to me -us- what your connection to him is. Tell us what happened to him._ " Batman silently nodded in agreement.

Oscar fidgeted for a while longer, then sighed. "Okay, sure. And for the record, he's wanted to talk to you too. So Oz will explain it to you guys himself." As Bruce rose an eyebrow while Oracle looked confused, the boy took a small breath. Then his eyes flared with golden light for a second as his posture straightened and a small smile crossed his face. "It has been quite some time, Bruce." Oscar said; but this while it may've been his voice, the person speaking sounded very familiar.

A stunned Oracle thought so too. " _Oz…?_ " she quietly asked, leaning closer toward the screen.

Oscar (or Ozpin?) turned his smile to her and walked a little closer, clasping his hands behind his back. "Hello, Barbara. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again." He then frowned, eyes narrowing at something. "…Are you sitting in a wheelchair? What happened?"

" _Joker happened._ " Oracle smiled to reassure him. " _But no worries, it happened a while ago, and I've gotten used to it by now. Sure, I can't go swinging across rooftops anymore, but it doesn't mean I'm helpless. Or useless._ "

Oz still looked concerned but chuckled a bit at the declaration. "It seems I underestimated you. I already knew you had quite a mind for electronics, but your willpower is even stronger. Please forgive me."

" _Aw, you sure know how to charm a girl. And you're forgiven._ " Meanwhile, Batman watched the boy closely. It may've been Oscar's voice, but the intonations, the choice of words, the body language, the sense of wisdom from every sentence… they were reminiscent of his onetime mentor and ally.

Clearing his throat, Bruce decided to confirm it. "So if it is you, Ozpin," he began, Oz turning to look at him, "then I'm sorry Alfred isn't here to see you. He still mentions you every now and then, and I'm sure he'd like the chance to make you that tea you liked."

Raising an eyebrow, the boy said with a smirk, "Actually, Alfred served me hot chocolate while he drank tea. During my first visit to your original cave, he asked me himself what my beverage preferences were, and the next time we were there, he greeted me with a freshly brewed cup. I still haven't quite discovered the perfect concentration of nutmeg he added."

"Tell me about it, I'm a detective, but I still haven't figured out most of his recipes." Smiling, Bruce shook hands with his onetime teacher and gently clapped him on the shoulder. "It really is you," he said fondly. "So, I take it the Ozpin I know isn't around anymore, and this… connection with Oscar is part of the immortality you mentioned, isn't it?"

Oscar nodded. "Yes, I didn't have a chance to explain the full ramifications of my… curse during our last adventure, but I trust you two are familiar with the concept of reincarnation, yes?" As both nodded, he continued, "That is basically how it works: when I die, my soul is bound to that of a like-minded person, and eventually, our souls meld and the result is a combination of what we once were. The Ozpin you met wasn't my first form, and as you can see, clearly not my last. In time, Oscar will inherit all of my memories and abilities, not just this companion of mine." He then drew the Long Memory and partially extended it, leaning his weight on it. "And until my task is done, the cycle will continue."

"This cycle," the detective began with a frown, "it could involve bonding to children who might not have any knowledge of what's at stake and definitely have no say in this?"

Ozpin shook his head in shame. "No. I have no control over how my next host would be, and I fear when I was first adapting to it, I tended to suppress their personalities." For a boy so young, the wizard looked incredibly ancient now. Ancient and weary. "And sadly, that is not even the worst of my sins."

Both vigilantes exchanged confused looks, then stared at him. "What are you talking about?" Bruce asked tentatively. Seeing him look at the ground, he added, "If it's too painful for you to tell, then-"

Oz sighed deeply and returned his gaze to his friends. "No. I've learned quite recently the price of keeping secrets. I will try to keep it as brief as possible, but I shall tell the two of you everything."

And so he did. He told of the age of magic and the Brother Gods long ago; he told of when he, as Ozma, rescued Salem, then a young woman untainted by Grimm, from the clutches of her father, and how they came to fall in love; he told of how his first death, one by illness, triggered the Gods cursing her with immortality for tricking them into bringing him back to life; he told of Salem assembling an army to defy the Brothers, who in turn wiped out all of humanity except for her (and shattered the moon in the process). He told of her attempted suicide transforming her into a human-Grimm hybrid; of a new, less powerful version of humanity being born from dust, and the God of Light offering him a task: reincarnate over and over again until he brings four Relics embodying the concepts the Gods used to create humanity together, and then humanity would be judged whether or not they were capable of harmony. He told of his accepting the duty and his first rebirth where he reunited with what he thought was the woman he loved; of how together, they presented themselves as gods to the humans and formed a kingdom and a family. He told of how Ozma realized Salem's change and that in attempting to usher his daughters to safety, their first battle destroyed everything they had created together and began the war they fight to this day. He told of some of his various lives' actions: empowering the Maidens, finding the Relics, learning in the process that Salem couldn't be destroyed, ending the Great War, founding the Huntsmen academies. He told of how the man they met, Professor Ozpin, met Teams STRQ, RWBY, and JNPR, and how his decisions had affected them; how Beacon Academy fell and he died again; he told of his soul being bound to Oscar's, and them making the journey to Haven Academy, where the boy met what was left of his predecessor's students and helped keep the Lamp of Knowledge out of Salem's clutches for the time being. He told of the train to Argus derailing and this leading to his secrets laid bare; of how they rejected him for his lack of a plan, leaving an ashamed Ozpin to lock himself away in Oscar's mind where no one could reach. He told of what Oscar witnessed while heading for Atlas, where despite Ruby Rose's best efforts, a good friend of his, James Ironwood, fell victim to his own paranoia and nearly killed the boy, which finally brought about the mage's return; he told of how Salem was personally leading an army to destroy the kingdom of Atlas.

When he finished, Barbara was covering her mouth with her hand, her sadness clear even from a computer image. Bruce grasped his chin in thought, himself unsure what he was feeling right now. They had only spoken during the tales to ask for clarification on certain topics. It could've been all just a big lie, but he doubted it. The way everything had been described, the sheer pain in Oscar's voice as he told his story… it was too strong to be fake. The next thing Bruce said was, "First of all, I'm so sorry for what happened to your family."

"Thank you." At this point, Ozpin had long since collapsed into the chair Batman had offered him, tears falling. "So now you both know." he said after a pause. "I am grateful for the praise you gave me for your accomplishments, but it is far more than I deserve. I've made terrible mistakes, Bruce, and all of Remnant pays the price for them. Even now, Salem continues her spread of conquest, and all my actions do either prolong an endless war or actually aid her in the process." The old warrior let his face fall into his hands. He looked so broken. "I truly am nothing more than a failure. Or perhaps I am a monster, considering the blood on my hands."

"Then why are you here?"

This question, and the lack of judgement behind it, prompted Oz to look up at his addresser. "What?"

Bruce looked impassive as ever. "I mean, why are you still in Oscar's body? General Ironwood shot him," his fist clenched at that, "off a ledge, breaking his Aura in the process. Oscar would've fallen to his death if you hadn't returned and guided him into using your power. Even before in Argus, you helped Oscar safely crash-land the ship he was in. Both times, you could've let him die and just reincarnated into another host. But you chose to help him. You didn't even control him then, you just showed Oscar how to help himself both times."

"I-well," but Oracle gently cut him off.

" _And back when you got teleported to Gotham, you could've just kept a low profile. Think about it, a different world, no responsibilities for you. Practically a clean slate. You could've made yourself a whole new life here. Hell, even if your return trip had already been booked, you could've spent the night on the town, partied like crazy. It's what most guys would've done. Nobody would've expected you to be a hero after all the crap you've been put through. But you got involved in Black Mask's -Joker's- games. Gotham City could've been ashes without you._ "

Batman agreed and continued. "You didn't have any obligations to help me or Oscar, but you still chose to step in. You taught me to use my training properly and share the burden with others. If it weren't for you, I would've died half a dozen times that night, and I wouldn't have considered James Gordon one of my closest friends today. I may have even lost Alfred." He moved closer and kneeled while squeezing the teen's shoulders. "And that's not even considering all the good you've done over the millennia for your world. You've trained people, protected them from Salem, you gave them hope." Oz made to interject, but he went on. "Partially false hope, but hope nonetheless. You made it so that Remnant could enjoy times of peace and the people had choose to become Huntsmen and Huntresses or not. The kingdoms would've fallen to pieces long ago if the last king of Vale hadn't stepped in."

Barbara gave him a smile that had nothing but compassion. " _So you've made a bunch of mistakes and done things others didn't agree with, and you're constantly plagued by the guilt of the bad side from your choices. Congratulations, Oz, you're still human even after all this time._ " Ozpin coughed out a few laughs at that. " _You're definitely not a monster, and you're not a failure. You're just a guy who's been given a lot of responsibility and has tried to make the best out of a lousy situation. For yourself_ _and_ _Remnant._ "

Ozpin looked between them, unsure of how he should feel. Bruce released him and decided to make one last test. "You've known for years that you can't destroy Salem. Does this mean you've given up on your mission?"

The man who had lived thousands of lives and faced innumerable adversaries looked between them for a moment, looked down at his hands, then rose from the chair. "No," Ozpin said with steel and determination, "and I never will. Whatever price I must pay, however long it takes, I will find a way to prove humanity deserves redemption."

They smiled proudly back at him. "Then I'm pretty sure I'm not wrong to consider you an ally, Oz," Bruce replied, standing up again, "or a friend. Remember your mistakes but don't forget the good you've done. Trust me, Remnant still needs you. Both of you."

Ozpin returned their smiles. "Thank you. I'm sorry to have wasted precious time with this. I suppose I needed to unload a bit."

" _We've all got baggage like that, Oz,_ " Barbara laughed. " _Maybe not as much as you, but that's the point of having friends: so you can share the weight._ "

"You're a man, not an island." Ozpin remembered. "Alfred told you this years ago, Bruce. Maybe he also meant it for me." He then straightened, clearly in better spirits. "Now then, I've been in control long enough, I believe Oscar would like to return. Any questions left?" When both answered in the negative, he smiled in gratitude one final time, then the eyes flashed gold again. When they returned to normal, Oscar coughed a bit. "Whew, sorry, my throat's a little sore." Batman pulled out a water bottle from a nearby crate and gave it to him. After taking a few steady gulps, the boy looked up at him. "So, where does this leave us?"

"You expect any change from us?" Bruce asked.

"W-well, maybe a little, I mean I took this all a lot worse than you and Barbara did. How can you be so calm about the fact that-"

"Salem apparently can't be killed?" the billionaire finished. "It's a hindrance, but not every problem can be solved with killing someone. You and your friends ought to know that." Oscar looked down at that while Batman frowned a bit; he could understand why Branwen had been so broken up about the revelations, but punching an innocent boy… if the two ever met, he would show the drunkard what bad luck really looked like. "But that's not what bothers you the most."

Oscar sighed. "Yeah, I know it's selfish of me, but c'mon, you guys both chose to be heroes. I just got pulled into this, and sooner or later, I might be gone. Just another Ozpin…"

" _Yeah, I don't see that happening._ " Both stared at Oracle's blunt tone. " _Looks like you and Oz really are like-minded souls, 'cause you're giving yourself too little credit there, Oscar._ "

"What do you mean?"

" _I mean that, even after uncovering all the dirty laundry, you still freely went to Atlas to help Team RWBY. And here on Arkham, you could've slipped away from my dad and Mr. Dark and Gloomy here, leaving them to handle the Joker alone. But here you are. Or do you think Ozpin has been pulling your strings?_ " Oscar shook his head. " _Well there you go. Sounds like you're a good guy in your own right, Sage._ "

Batman agreed wholeheartedly. "You'll stand a bigger chance of losing your identity even more if you just give up. Right now, you are Oscar Pine, Sage. This is your life, your chance to make your own decisions. Don't waste it by worrying about what might happen."

Oscar looked down at his hands for a bit before grinning at them. "Thanks, guys. You're not as cold as I thought you'd be… Mr. Wayne?" He offered with a little shrug

"Call me Batman, for now." The longtime orphan donned his mask again with a chuckle. "But Bruce is fine otherwise. And I can get a lot colder when I feels it's necessary."

"I bet." Then the former farmhand's expression turned serious. "Time to get back to saving your city from the Joker, right?"

" _You got it._ " Oracle sobered up too as Batman sat at the computer. " _Dr. Young was heading up a project. It was big, lots of external funding. Here are the last notes she filed._ "The recordings of the O's battles were replaced with scientific documents. " _I can't make sense of it; what does it mean?_ "

Batman scanned the notes, frowning in concentration. "Looks like she was experimenting on the Arkham patients." Two images of chemical bonds were enlarged. "This new chemical barely resembles the original Venom compound. There are a number of changes that appear to amplify the strength of the drug. Multiple references to a Titan formula."

Sage hummed in thought. "Back in Medical, we saw a recording of Dr. Young talking about a Project Titan. She said it would strengthen patients' bodies to help them resist mental illness. I'm guessing she overdid it, judging by Bane and that other thing Joker sicced on us."

Batman nodded as the images changed. "But those two were flawed. Even a small amount of the perfected compound could trigger a Venom-like transformation in the host, eliminating the need for the storage tank Bane requires." Then he noticed a certain detail. Or lack of one. "Hang on. These notes aren't complete. The formula is missing!" Sure enough, there was an empty slot with a flashing warning sign in front. "That must be the secret Dr. Young is hiding. If Joker gets his hands on it, he will create an army of a thousand Banes."

He got up and walked to two storage boxes to the right. Barbara and Oscar exchanged horrified glances. " _My god, is Joker crazy enough to do that?_ " The analyst wondered. Receiving flat looks at that, she muttered with a sigh, " _Right, what am I saying? You've got to stop him!_ "

Batman nodded as he attached the Batclaw to his grapple gun. He then pulled out a smaller case and handed it to Sage. Noting his confusion, the Caped Crusader explained, "You're going to need all the help you can get. These are some of Ozpin's old tools that I happened to keep here."

The boy's eyes widened as he opened the case. Inside was a utility belt in a shade of dull grey, with various tools he carefully pulled out: a dark-green grapple equipped with its own claw, a pair of googles that would show detective vision, a supply of Explosive Gel, and a number of small verdant disks, each emblazoned with one gear encompassing a smaller one. Sage carefully placed them all in their compartments (knowing exactly which belong where), slung the belt under his jacket and wrapped the googles around his neck before saying, "Oz is a little surprised that you kept all these gadgets. What, did you know he'd be sent to Gotham again?"

"No," Batman replied, "but those are still useful despite being five years old. And like I said, it's best to plan ahead for situations like this. Go on, give it a shot." Sage looked a bit unsure, then he steeled himself ( _Ozpin probably encouraged him just now,_ the detective judged by his expressions) and in a set of motions that almost seemed practiced, he unclipped a disk, reared back and hurled it out into the cave. It spun in a curve before returning to the young wizard's ready hand. Oscar looked at the projectile in wonder and then blushed at Oracle's clapping while Batman nodded. "They'll help you as much as the cane will, trust me." He then led the way to one of the cave's exit. "We're going after Dr. Young. She was heading to the mansion with Cash. We're going up top via the catacombs."

" _I'm here if you boys need me,_ " Oracle promised. " _Oh and Oscar?_ " As he turned to see her, she smiled encouragingly. " _I'm really glad to see Oz again. And it's just as sweet meeting you. So keep our grumpy bat from scaring everybody that doesn't have it coming, 'kay?_ " The two young heroes shared a laugh before he jokingly promised and her screen shut off.

Batman fired the Batclaw at a couple of boxes in their way and pulled, making them fall to the cave floor. "Oscar, Ozpin, are you ready?" He asked. Sage adjusted his gear and nodded. Then they leaped across the ledge and sprinted for the catacombs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, I think THIS is the chapter I've wanted to write the most. And before any of you might complain, yes, I know that the events of Arkham Asylum are going on and that realistically there shouldn't be enough time for Oz to tell his life's story. To that, I say, eh, what the hell, it's my story, I can make it unrealistic if it suits my needs! Sorry, but I'll write this my way, with no regrets.


	8. Chapter 7: After The Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armed with new equipment and new strength, Oscar joins Batman in tracking down Doctor Young and her research. Hopefully before Joker gets to it.

Despite knowing that there was still a lot of work to do, Oscar felt an overwhelming sense of relief, and he wasn't sure if it came from Ozpin or himself. _Feel like a Goliath's gotten off your back, Oz?_ he joked while running after Batman through the cave's tunnels.

 _Like you wouldn't believe._ A sigh like someone relaxing after an exhausting day bounced around his head. _Despite what you may think, Oscar, I_ _don't_ _enjoy keeping secrets. I know they are necessary in certain circumstances, and I long thought that keeping the world in the dark about Salem's existence was the best course of action, but more than once I simply wished to let it all out._ Then something shifted. _On that matter, Oscar, could you ask Batman something for me?_

 _Sure,_ the teen thought at first, then reconsidered. _You know what? As long as we're under the asylum and its cameras, you can ask him yourself. I'm getting a little tired about playing telephone._ A little smile confirmed his offer.

 _Oh, well thank you._ With that, Ozpin assumed control and moved a bit faster to run alongside Batman, who gave him an inquisitive look. "Bruce," he started, "if Joker was responsible for Barbara's current…" a frown and a clenching of his fists, "condition, was because he discovered her connection to you? How many people know your identity now?"

"Only a handful of people I trust completely, and one of my enemies," Batman reassured him. They slowed down when they reached a ledge near some large pipes, a sealed air duct just above them "That one won't reveal it out of his own code of honor. Joker attacked Barbara in a failed attempt to break her father, make him go over the edge. He definitely doesn't know who I am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't even care. Bane never fully recovered from the TN-1's effects on his mind. So don't worry, Oz. My secret and my allies are safe."

The wizard visibly relaxed. "That's good to hear. But a word of advice? Secrets have a tendency of being uncovered sooner or later. And I can tell you right now, it's better if that happens on your terms than if someone discovers them against your will." His friend nodding in thought. his eyes then flashed again, and Oscar was back in control.

"TN-1…" He mused while pulling out his grapple and launching it at the grate. "Oz showed me that last fight with Bane. What are the odds it was another factor into creating Titan?" He took a step back, anchored himself (this sort of thing was tricky with Oscar's small body), and with a good tug, tore it off, the metal bouncing against the rock floor.

"Pretty strong, I'd say." Batman agreed while grappling himself into the opening, Sage right behind him. Their conversation had to be put on hold, though, because just left to their exit point was one of Joker's lackeys. Luckily, he hadn't noticed them yet and was busy talking into a radio.

"Sorry, boss. Took a little longer to find him than you figured it would."

" _Oh, I'm sorry,_ " Joker replied in a sarcastic and testy manner. " _I'll try and be more precise next time I'm planning an island takeover!_ " Before the goon could stammer out an apology, Batman had reached over and knocked him out. Not that Joker noticed. " _Hellooo? Are you listening to me? I'll teach you to hang up on me, you sniveling little worm!_ "

Sage knelt by the body but couldn't find anything other than the radio. "Who were they talking about?" He asked while standing up and looking at a Riddler trophy on the other side of a ravine ( _It's too risky going for that one, even with the grapple_ ). "You think they found the cave entrance?"

"I doubt it. He was too far away and no one knows about the cave in the first place. He wasn't alone, and there must be someone else Joker wants down here." Batman motioned for his eyes; Oscar understood and put on the googles ( _Button should be on the upper right_ , Oz advised). Instantly, he could see everything in a dark-blue tint, certain objects highlighted and with information boxes. It took a little getting used to, but Ozpin helped him adjust, and soon enough Sage turned his gaze to the right where he could see moving light-blue skeletons behind a wall. _Those are other people; red means they carry firearms, light-blue is everything else._ His mentor explained. _See those objects highlighted around them? Those indicate possible melee weapons. Truly a shame that Atlas couldn't reach this sort of software yet._ Batman had already climbed up to the wall and was leaning out of their sight, so the boy joined him and listened in on the thugs' conversation.

"Why are we the ones trying to open it? This ain't even the main door. If we even get it open, we don't know what it'll do." They were clustered in front of an inactive elevator.

"I ain't goin' near it! You even touch the door and it'll get you."

"Yeah, you remember Mickey, right?"

"He was an idiot. Deserved to be eaten." _Eaten?!_ Oscar didn't like the sound of that, and neither did the others. Batman stepped out of hiding and hurled a pair of Batarangs, knocking the closest two thugs down. A third called out, "It's the Bat!" and made to rip a machine off the wall. But a green disk spun through the air and collided with his head, making him stumble back. As he stumbled back, trying to get his head to stop ringing, Sage was already deflecting swings from his friend, twisting the pipe out of reach and then clubbing him to the floor. The teen then rolled under the punch of a third guy who thought he'd have better chances than with Batman who had already beaten down two of his allies. But this one was just as troublesome, striking his knees and then taking him out of the fight with one punch.

Sage then smoothed out the wrinkles of his coat as Batman headbutted the final one into unconsciousness. He then saw a door to the left of them. Cautiously walking towards it, noting the "DANGER KEEP AWAY" sign attached to some pipes, he wondered, _What exactly were they looking for down here?_ Batman followed, curious himself, and grabbed the door, testing it. But it was sealed tight.

_I'm not sure… This is a sewer, and whatever is locked away here must be terrifying- Oscar, back away from the door, now._

Oscar complied, pulling Batman back as well. Suddenly, a familiar scaled face rose up and roared straight at them. He then slammed his fist against the door, cracking the glass and denting the steel. " **I will find you. Rip your flesh like paper. Hunt him down…** " With those parting words, Croc drifted out of sight again.

Wide-eyed, Sage put away his cane and took a few calming breaths. "Well," he said, "at least we know where they put Killer Croc." They then walked back in the opposite direction of the door, the teen stopping to grapple up and retrieve a trophy of Riddler's.

"And he's still locked up for now. Hopefully we don't have to deal with him tonight." As they walked down the hall leading to the controls, Oracle called them. " _I've been digging into Dr. Young. According to her bank records, there have been multiple payments, starting last April until two months ago. Then nothing. The payments came from a company owned by a mister Jack White._ "

"One of Joker's oldest aliases," Batman explained to his partner who blew down a wall to get yet another trophy. "So Joker pays Dr. Young to create his army and then all of a sudden he stops. Doesn't make any sense."

Oscar frowned in thought during the walk. "Maybe he ran out of funds? It's not like a wanted criminal can have an endless cash supply."

"Maybe," Batman said while throwing a batarang at some teeth chattering on the floor and crushing a second his boot. "Or we're missing something." Oracle signed off as they reached the door for the main sewer junction of the complex. Through the tunnel, Sage could see a collection of old structures of brick stretching high into the caves. He scanned with Detective Mode for the exit and pulled out his grapple gun, but the Dark Knight's hand clamped down on it. "The walls are too weak for grappling. One wrong move, and you could fall into the water below. We'll climb up ourselves."

"Fair enough." The emerald teen stored away his gear and followed him to the nearest column. Then Barbara reported, " _Hey, boys, this is weird. The payments to Dr. Young's account didn't stop, they were declined. Dr. Young put a block on her account._ "

"Sounds like she had a change of heart. She tried to block the payments. Joker doesn't like it when his partners try to back out." They climbed up one ledge and jumped from it to a nearby platform

"And with her being an attending at Arkham, he figured the best way to get to her would be to get caught." Oscar realized, hoisting himself up another ledge. Ozpin added more which he repeated to the others. "And what better place to get the candidates for an army than an asylum filled with his men and criminally insane people?"

" _So he decided to get himself back to Arkham, find his formula, and create the army himself!_ "

"Exactly." Batman

All the while, Oracle found more information. " _I've hacked into her email accounts. Two mails stand out. The first is a resignation letter dated last week. Sounds like she was trying to get away._ "

"And the second?" They destroyed chattering teeth on the next spot before leaping for it, then climbed upwards.

" _A message from Joker, well, Jack White. It's a long thread. She's begging to stop the experiment, says it's too dangerous. He's not listening. Let's see, random threats to her family, a couple of bad jokes… a picture of a dead baby and a threat!_ "

Sage frowned at all the things he just heard. "Um, I honestly don't know whether to be disgusted or confused right now."

"You get used to it."/ _You get used to it._ / " _You get used to it._ " Batman ignored the snort from the boy and told Oracle, "Go on."

" _He says, I'm coming for you! I want what I paid for. And then another joke about wheelchairs, lovely… and a picture of some kind of donkey._ "

"Do I even want an explanation?" Oscar mumbled before shimmying along a ledge to the next point. Neither gave him an answer, and Oz advised, _Let's leave it to our imagination._

"No wonder she's so scared," the crime-fighter brought the conversation back on track. "We're coming up to the surface. We'll find her." They continued on their way, though Sage made a detour through some water to collect a trophy that had been stashed higher up. He also found via Detective Mode a question mark painted curiously on the walls; he could only make out the shape by looking at it a certain way. Snapping a picture with his googles as per Ozpin's instruction and ignoring Nigma's taunt (" _Finally! I was wondering when you'd find that one._ "), he rejoined his ally who had already collected the rest. Batman led them down a narrow path of stone to a door that let them access the surface. Then it was right on one corner, up some stairs, and then a shoddy-looking wall blocked their path. But not for long, thanks to some Explosive Gel. They then jumped over the hole, Sage boosting himself with Aura, then walked through the next door into the outside of Arkham North.

" _Ding dong, the wizard's dead, which old whizz, the green ol' whizz,_ " Joker sang before stopping himself. " _Oh, hold the phone, that hasn't happened yet, still need to get to the Pinhead…_ " _Oh, if only he knew,_ Ozpin grumbled mentally, Sage and Batman trading knowing looks. Then he started up again. " _Anyways, Joker again! Don't worry about the Bat or the Green Scout, I've put a few surprises along the way if they decide to turn up and spoil the fun. Oh and if you hear a shot in the dark, don't worry. There's very little chance of you getting hurt. It's the Bat I'm after! Still, you might wanna check your health insurance. Ha ha! Who am I kidding? You don't have any! And no killing the brat! He needs to talk._ "

By this point, they had already reached the nearest guard tower; a thug with a sniper rifle and night-vison googles was facing the other way. Batman pulled him down and punched his lights, then the pair scanned the rest of the courtyard. "Snipers." Batman noted at the goons in the towers. "Looks like the Blackgate thugs have access to the armory." Hi gaze turned to the unarmed ones down below. Making his decision, the detective addressed his friend. "Can you take care of the one up in the other tower?"

Sage's flickered at the target, listened to Oz' advice, and nodded. "Not a problem." Then they split up; Batman glided down and melded into the shadows, creeping towards the group, while Oscar fired his grapple to a tree and swung himself under guidance towards the foot of the tower. He then slowly moved up the stairs until he was at the top; the sniper hadn't noticed him yet. The Long Memory was already at full length by the time he reached him and was slipped in front of his neck. A few seconds of choked breathing, and the guy was out. Sage checked his pulse, noted its regularity, then slowly lowered himself to the ground with the grapple. Batman headbutted the last goon to the ground when he arrived, then together, they sped for the gate leading to Arkham East.

Inside, the thugs instantly panicked upon seeing them and charged as a group. Not that it did them much good, especially when Oscar realized the workers that had clustered near the ambulance were all dead. Two were even strung up, and the sight made something snap in the teen. Anger coursed through him as he let his cane fly, beating any thug close to him. Something could be heard cracking with each hit, but it didn't register to the furious boy as he let out a cry of emotion. _Oscar,_ he jabbed in one's stomach, _Oscar,_ he smacked the cane into another's jaw, _Oscar!_ Finally, the assault stopped, in part because of the mental shout, in part because Batman had grabbed the cane in mid-swing. Oscar blinked a few times, the anger slowly fading away and being replaced by shame. "S-sorry," he said to both, retracting the Long Memory and rubbing his arm. "It's-it's just that I saw these people… emergency workers just trying to do their job and…"

Batman gently squeezed his right shoulder. "I know," he assured, "I've been there. But keep your rage in check. Draw strength from it, but don't let it overtake you. If you keep your emotions calm, you can accomplish anything. But if they run wild, they could be the death of you."

Sage absorbed the words, feeling peace wash over his body, then noticed something. "Those words… Oz said them to you, didn't he?" He asked while looking at the two bodies still hanging.

Batman nodded and cut them down with two batarangs. "Good advice is good advice." The teen gave a sad smile as they gently moved the bodies safely against the wall, so that nobody would trample or stumble over them. "Impressive, though." The Dark Knight said, nodding towards the fallen thugs. "You dispatched them all on your own, and despite more than a few broken bones," Oscar blushed embarrassed, "not a single fatality. No life-threatening injuries, even."

He glanced back at the criminals with the googles up; sure enough, they are all alive and unconscious. _Oz,_ he thought before running to catch up with the older man heading for the door, _did you hold me back while I was fighting just now?_

 _I was standing by to intervene,_ the former professor admitted, _as was Batman, but neither of us needed to. It seems that even in your anger, you subconsciously knew not to kill them, only incapacitate. Remarkable._

Oscar breathed a sigh of relief at the words as they walked through the arch. Another guard tower with sniper was just above them, and their scanners reported three more further down the path. "Two for each of us," Sage noted, Batman nodding in agreement. They then split up again, the green farmboy grappling straight up while the cowled crime-fighter ran for the next tower. By the time Oscar had knocked out his goon, Batman had reached his target's stairs and slowly crept up to the top.

" _I seem to be losing men like there's a plague in town. Or two. Huh, I guess the Bat and the whizz-kid are back._ " Joker warned his men as the heroes silently moved from their positions to the mansion's entrance where the remaining two were perched above. " _I've got a couple of men in the guard towers covering your movements, but be careful. They're both loose cannons with itchy trigger fingers, and, well, accidents do happen._ " Sage darted from bush to bush, silently grateful for the color of his coat, before grappling up to the lower roof.

" _Hello again, boys, it's me. Please remember to take good care of all our hostages. They're n good to us dead. However, a bruise here or a cut there won't go amiss._ " The young mage made to pull himself up, but Ozpin stopped him. _Wait, there's another way to get rid of a sniper like this. In fact, heh, it may be Batman's favorite tactic._ Listening to the idea, Sage gave a dark little smile.

" _Any available psychos, killers, maimers and murderers that are not yet in the Old Mansion, hurry up, you fools, before I feed you to the Bat myself! And the kid and Harley can play Jenga with your bones afterwards._ " He carefully shimmied along the roof before he was right under the unsuspecting goon. Gently looping a rope from his utility belt around the guy's leg, Oscar then grabbed ahold and gave a good yank, making him topple screaming over the edge. Luckily, the rope kept him from falling to his death. The other one, startled by the cry, spun around just as a black menace leaped up and took him down. With no more threats outside, they hopped off the roof, broke a couple of chattering teeth, cut down the hanging thug and another deceased worker, then Sage opened the door for Batman to step inside.

Inside, a pair of thugs were standing smug behind an active security gate. "Well look who it is!" one jeered while the other turned and smacked their backside at them.

"Yeah, big bad Batman! And his little green monster, too! Come on, tough guys! Come and get us!"

"Oh, look at them, stuck out there. Ain't ya got a cat to rescue from a tree or somethin'?"

"That's right. Go on, get lost! We're in control. Joker'll finish you heroes off!"

"Bsides, it's past the twerp's bedtime! Run on home and don't forget t' drink yer milk before sleepy time!" Frankly, none of the three were impressed, but there wasn't any way to deactivate the gate from their spot. Only thing to do was find another way in.

So, the heroes turned around and walked back out, Sage waving goodbye with a, "See you later," before shutting the door behind him. Both thugs looked a little less cocky just before he couldn't see them anymore. Back outside, the teen turned to the grownup and thumbed upwards. "Vent?"

"Vent." They grappled to the door's roof, where Batman ripped the grate off with his Batclaw and led the way into the duct. It led to a tiny storage room with a door to the mansion entrance hall. Just a few steps and they were right over the same thugs that were mocking them a minute ago. A third with a rifle was also there.

"Yeah, I can't believe Batman just left."

"Yeah, the stinking coward limped off, cape between his legs. If he'd tried to come through, I'd take him on. He wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah. Yeah, me too. I'd rip his head off and give it to Joker for a paperweight. And that punk kid, I'd twist him into a green lil' pretzel as a snack for Joker." Batman indicated their respective targets and both got into position.

"Always sucking up to the boss."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You heard m-" But the guy jumped back in alarm at the winged monster flying towards them. Then after it passed over them, he realized two things: one, that they hadn't been its target, and two, the monster had a passenger. Sage flipped off Batman's back and hurled two disks in midair, stunning both thugs while Batman slammed into the one carrying a gun. The teen drew his cane and knocked out one with rapid thrusts, then rolled across the floor to kick the other straight in the ribs. With that, all the enemies were down for the count, and they could continue. Sage noticed with his googles something and quickly crawled into one vent to get another of Riddler's toys. " _So. You found it at last. What have you been doing with your time?_ "

Ozpin briefly took over while climbing out. "Waiting for you to present an actual mental challenge, Mr. Nashton." Riddler ground his teeth before shutting off the link as Oscar returned and grappled alongside Batman to the upper part of the room. "Door's being watched," the detective explained, leading them upwards to a wall. "We have to go over them if we want to save the hostages." He then blew down the wall, noted another tablet with scribbles in front, but focused on the vent in the lower right side. In only a few seconds, the pair had slipped through it to over the main hall.

Ten thugs were already in there, turning the whole place upside down. Papers were torn out of books and scattered everywhere. The intercom let out its introductory chime. " _Joker here with a little update for you all. First the good news: we have Dr. Young! Bad news: she's not talking. She's hidden a document somewhere in the mansion. I want it found! I've got a plan or six to loosen her tongue, but in the meantime, search every kook and granny. There's a prize for whoever finds them._ " No time to waste, then. Sage climbed onto Batman's back who then floated down to kick the lead thug holding a pipe. They then separated and weaved among the goons. Batman blurred from punching one guy to kicking a second in the face to swinging his cape into a third. Sage twisted his cane into a flowing circle of strikes and jabs to anyone unlucky enough to be near him. Through it all, Oscar almost felt a sort of… familiarity to the routine. It was surprising, considering he'd only learned how to fight a couple of months ago, but his arms and legs moved instinctively to counter enemy strikes. Ozpin wasn't even controlling him, simply giving the occasional pointer, and it wasn't limited to just solo maneuvers; He knew Batman was there too, and that he had the boy's back. Sometimes, the two would change positions and finish off each other's target, then they'd be right back at their original spot. Eventually, the last mook staggered away from the Dark Knight's elbow and into the tip of the Long Memory, crumpling to the ground.

Flexing his fingers, Batman turned to his partner. "We need to find her notes before Joker does." He then walked up to the door that read, "West Wing," Oz noting, _We have to start someplace. Rescuing the hostages deprives Joker of an asset, and one of them may have seen Dr. Young pass through here._ Oscar nodded and passed on the thoughts to Batman who agreed.

And in the West Wing, there already was a chance for answers; a thug wearing some kind of big metal collar was aiming a gun at a guard and an orderly. "Just shut the hell up. We're in control. Where is she?" luckily, his back was turned to them.

"I don't know!" The guard replied, trying to draw attention away from the other hostage.

"Answer me!"

"I said I don't know. She could be anywhere."

"You're not getting out of here, you know." Both vigilantes slowly drifted over to the guy, still not realizing they were behind him.

"Yeah? Well, you're going down!" By then, the hostages had noticed their rescuers.

"Shut up! We've got this whole building locked down."

The orderly that had been cowering looked a little more relaxed. "You really think so?"

"Oh yeah?" The guard added. "Take a look behind you."

"Do I look stupid? Do you think I'm just going to turn around so one of you lame asses can jump me? Like that'll happen."

"Too bad," Oscar quipped while Batman wrapped him into a chokehold. As he fell unconscious to the floor, the lights on his collar started flashing and an electronic sound like laughing could be heard. As Sage patched the orderly who had a nasty cut on his forehead, Batman spoke to the guard. "What's that collar do? Why's it making that noise?"

"It's the suicide collar. But, it sounds weird…"

Oscar frowned. "Suicide collar?"

"They've got some other name, but, well, we just use 'em to monitor patients' heartbeats. If it drops too low, the alarm goes off and a crash team rushes in."

" _And so does my crew if you trigger one. How'd you like them apples, Bats?_ " Joker called out, prompting them to look at the nearest screen. " _Standing around with your munchkin in the… hmm, let's see… ah, the west wing. They'd be there now if they weren't knocking sense into Cash. I'll tell you what, I won't spoil the surprise and let them know you're here._ " Then he snapped his fingers. " _Oh, and speaking of surprises, here's another little one, just for you!_ " The sprinklers suddenly turned on, releasing drops of strangely smelling liquid onto them. The guard screamed when a drop hit his bare forearm released steam. Oscar's Aura flickered and Batman's armor sizzled from the drops as Joker shut off the screen with a cackle.

 _Oscar, barrier!_ Oz urged. In desperation, Sage summoned his magic into a verdant dome around the four, protecting them from the acid. Steam wafted and sizzling could be heard everywhere around them, but they were safe for now. Batman drew a strangely-shaped batarang and threw it, the shield letting it pass as it looped around, via remote control, and spun towards the ceiling. The projectile struck the sprinklers, damaging them to the point no liquid could be released. Green energy crackled as the dome withdrew itself, and Oscar fell into a crouch, panting from the exertion. "Every… body… okay?" he asked between breaths.

The orderly examined the guard's arm. "He'll be fine. Just a little of the stuff got into him, no major burning." The guard winced in agreement.

Batman helped the boy to his feet with an encouraging nod. "Good reflexes. Joker's been busy, likely while we had our chat." Oscar frowned at the thought, but the crime-fighter softly continued. "I'm not blaming either of you for that. It just means we need to be more careful from here on out." He then looked toward the guard, but he waved them off.

"I'll live, and Cash is in the next room. Sounds like he's taking a beating. You'd better help him."

"We'll take care of it, you stay here and away from the sprinklers." As he and the orderly moved closer to the wall, Batman and Sage sprinted for the door that led to the Records Office. As soon as they walked through, they could hear someone yelling, "C'mon! Hit him harder!" Both grappled up to separate gargoyles before anyone could spot them.

"Arrgh!" Cash grunted. "You're gonna need more than that!"

Why you… Get Joker on the radio. Tell him he's not talking." Batman swooped down to pull up one thug that walked under him, then let him hang from the gargoyle while he swung to another.

"What happened?!" As some rushed to the guy calling slurred for help, Sage's comm chimed. " _They're armed with rifles and suicide collars. Take them out quick and then disappear._ "

"Will do." Sage then slowly dropped to the floor and swept out the legs of another, punching his head for emphasis. He then ducked behind one of the shelves when the collar sounded and a second thug ran over. " _You guys may want to look on the walkways,_ " Joker called exasperated. " _I think someone's left you a gift._ " Oscar drew a disk and threw it against his next target, bowling him over and leaving him open for the knockout blow. Batman had subdued another and was stalking one of the last two. The other was twisting this way and that, confused by all the collars going off, before heading for Oscar's direction. Oscar in turn sprayed a bit of Explosive Gel on the floor, then hid under a nearby desk. As soon as he saw the guy, he detonated the blob, sending him rolling head-over-heels.

Rising, he saw that the last got his teeth kicked in by his partner and Cash calling him over. "Sage, we're tied up. Need help!" The teen vaulted over the banister and landed feet first, running over to the guards in the middle of the room. With a sharpened dish, he cut through their bonds just as Batman caught up. Cash got up and held out his hand. "Thanks, kid."

Sage shook the hand and nodded back. Batman asked, "Where did Dr. Young go?"

"I told her to run. These guys came in looking for her. I told her to go for her office and hide."

"Does she keep her records there?"

"I guess. She was pretty desperate to get in there. Her office is over there." He thumbed to his right.

"How long ago was this? We need to find her notes before Joker gets his hands on them!"

"40 minutes, maybe more. What's so important about the notes?"

"Joker wants them. That makes them important." Oscar moved to interject, but Ozpin reminded him, _We don't have time to explain to Mr. Cash the full story behind her research, especially if he asks questions. Besides, he could panic._ This didn't make him feel better, but he held his tongue. "Stay here! We're going to find her."

"Not a problem," Cash assured, walking to a radio on a desk. "I'll try the radio. See if anyone else is around." He smirked at Sage's worry. "If I can handle an oversized leather coat bitin' off my hand, I can take some cheap shots from a couple a' punks." The teen returned his smirk and joined Batman in walking towards the office. Cash in the background was speaking in the radio but didn't appear to get an answer.

"Think they'll be okay?" Oscar asked after a while.

"The rifles are still operational, and they have handcuffs for Joker's men. And Cash knows how to take care of himself and others." They ran down the North Corridor, Joker taunting them all the while. " _Going after the notes yourselves, eh, Bats n' Junior? Good luck!_ " Something swung down from the ceiling; they barely jumped out of the way. It was a long pole with multiple nails sticking in it, hanging by a swing. " _I've got a crew working over the doctor as we speak. They'll squeeze the formula out of her soon enough. Not to mention the army of clowns ripping this place apart and all the little traps I've had set up for you do-gooders! One way or another, the formula will be mine! Why don't you just give up? Go on, roll over and die for once! Be your best frieeend!_ " Undaunted, they avoided more of the poles and broke a couple more teeth bouncing around before heading onto the path. Along the way, a few more riddles were solved, angering the Riddler (" _I'm losing patience. You two are cheating. You must be!_ ") and slipping into another vent.

Ahead, voices could be heard. "It's not going to open!"

"Hold on. I think I've got it!"

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Outside the vent, they reached an overhead spot from where three thugs were taking turns trying to pry the door open.

"You can be the one to tell him. I'm not gonna!"

"It'll be open any second!" One guy said while ramming his shoulder against it. "…Damn it!"

"You're an idiot! You know what that means? Joker's not gonna be happy!"

"Quiet!" he yelled back, shaking the door handle. "Just shut up. I'm trying, I'm trying!"

Both heroes drew and hurled projectiles at the trio, staggering them and giving them time to drop down. Sage then jumped and drove his knee into one while Batman knocked the other two's heads together. Their bodies barely hit the floor before Oscar checked the door. "Still locked tight. But they were pretty desperate to get in."

"And if we break it down, it'll just invite them to sneak in later. Got to find a different way in." Batman led the way up the stairs on the right and looked around the small mortuary, briefly staring at a corpse. Oscar couldn't make out the name on the toe tag, but it seemed to put him on edge for a bit. Shaking himself, he walked to the door nearby and sprayed some Explosive Gel on the ground. "Precaution," he simply said as Sage scanned the place with Detective Mode and realized their path into the office. Pulling off the grate above them with the grapple, they pulled themselves one at a time into the vent, crawling into the way leading to Dr. Young's office. It wasn't exactly tidy; stacks of files and separate papers were everywhere, on the desk, on the floor, and there was some kind of black skull hanging on the wall. But that wasn't their main concern. "Someone has already got to the safe!" Batman noted, seeing it wide open. "The only question now is who opened it."

Ozpin advised Oscar to inspect the door. "No signs of forced entry on this side," he reported. "Whoever opened it knew the combination." Humming in thought, Batman typed on the keyboard of the desk computer, checking the camera system of the office.

"Let's see." The teen joined him. They could see the doctor hurriedly opening her safe and pulling something out. "Good. Dr. Young got to her notes before Joker. She's likely taken them to hide somewhere. We need to follow her and find out where she put them." He then rewound the tape a bit while Sage took a closer look at the skull. Noting his curiosity, Batman explained, "That was one of Black Mask's. It's not surprising if it looks familiar. Ozpin can tell you more about him later." He then played it before stopping when she pulled open the safe. A scan of the safe's door revealed her fingerprints on it. Sage pulled on his own googles as they cycled through modes and adjusted to the cowl's setting. Batman reported, "Oracle, we're on Dr. Young's trail. I've had to calibrate the scanners to only show recent prints." Fingerprint markings flashed all over the office before only a few remained. A box in the Detective Mode's center read, 'Modifying fingerprint filter. Exclude matches older than 60 minutes based on degradation.' "If we follow these, we'll find her or the notes." _Hey, Oz,_ Oscar thought in awe of the technology, _how come you never tried to have this gear copied back on Remnant? I mean, aside from Salem, organized crime could be taken down in days._

 _Believe me, I tried. But sadly, this is all heavily customized. Without proper understanding of all the software, not to mention the information needed to properly perform forensics, the googles would be worthless._ Meanwhile, Oracle replied. " _I hope it works. Just so you know, the GCPD found one of Joker's bombs downtown. It was full of marzipan and kittens._ " In another world, Oscar could imagine Ruby and Weiss squealing at the mention of kittens.

"As I thought. It's just a twisted diversion. The real action is back on Arkham." Batman then launched himself back up for the opening, Sage following.

"But Joker's an unpredictable sadist," Oscar reminded him as they climbed through the duct. "There's no guarantee he didn't hide one or two live bombs in the city."

"I know, but Gordon's likely already there and he can handle Gotham. Our job is to take Joker in. And that starts with keeping the Titan formula out of his hands." Thanks to Detective Mode, they already knew some of Joker's lackeys were behind the door in the morgue. No sooner were they out of the vent, did they force the door open and move in the heroes. This is where Batman's precaution came in handy; the explosions either knocked them out or disoriented them, leaving the two needing to only deliver the coup de grace and continue from where they had barged in. The prints led them through a hallway with another present sitting idle. A batarang popped it open, revealing more confetti and chattering teeth, but just as Oscar broke the last teeth with some disks, Batman quickly pulled him back. A second later, something large and heavy slammed against the doorway. They quickly grappled over it and landed, but froze at the sight of what almost crushed the boy.

"Okay," Sage asked, more perplexed than anything, "where on Earth did the guy get a giant pinball slapper?"

"I've honestly stopped questioning these things at some point over the years." Batman muttered in disbelief as they continued down the hallway and back to the main hall.

"What's going on?" Two thugs were huddling over one of their friends Sage had knocked unconscious on their way in.

"I don't know. There's an army of us. Who did this?" Batman and Sage calmly came closer.

"It's the Bat. He's here. It must be him. Or that weird kid he's got with him."

The other guy didn't seem sure, hefting his club. "Maybe it was Zsasz. That guy's crazy."

His friend shook his head. "No way, they're all still breathing. Zsasz never leaves anyone alive." Whatever the other would've said never came out as he was pulled back by a sturdy rope. Batman joined his fists together and slammed them onto his skull while Sage darted to the other, brought his cane down on the club, sending it clattering to the floor, then jabbed into his stomach, making him curl up.

Sage then frowned over what they had said. "Zsasz is loose again? Where do you think he's gone?"

"Hard to say. Zsasz tends to be random with his targets. If we come across him, he's going down." Batman then led him to the south corridor, where vitrines displayed various objects that belonged to super-criminals that had stayed at Arkham Asylum. Ozpin seemed briefly interested in a collection of umbrellas belonging to a 'Penguin' ( _Cobblepot, one of the acquaintances I made years ago. Probably still dealing in arms and attempting to pass off as sophisticated._ ). After a bit of silence, he spoke up again. "Is there something on your mind, Sage?"

Oscar scratched his hair. "Well, I was just wondering: what would happen to Dr. Young after all this? I mean, I get that Joker tricked her, but she bled Bane dry of Venom and form the sound of things, he wasn't her only lab rat."

"Dr. Young will face charges, based on the evidence we've collected. Experimentation on mentally challenged people, aiding a known criminal, just to start. But right now, she should count herself lucky if she even survives the night in one piece." He spoke more quietly as they reached the end of the corridor, then they pressed themselves against the wall.

"No idea. Joker doesn't tell us his plans." One goon with a gun was saying to another as they stood guard at the library door.

"She looked scared. Maybe she knew what was coming."

"Maybe. I heard he brought someone in to deal with her."

"He should've asked me. I'd have made her talk. Would've been fun." They each threw a projectile that boomeranged around the corner into the perps' heads, then sped over to make sure they wouldn't be any more trouble. After that, Sage opened the door for Batman and they walked into the library, where more of Joker's cronies were tearing books out of the shelves to find the notes. The pair nodded, then pounced on the nearest ones, beating them down as the others panicked and tried to defend themselves. Oscar tossed with a twist of the Long Memory one goon into another and knocked the knife out of a third's hand before clubbing him out. Batman alternated between beating one with his fists to breaking another's leg before turning to the rest. A few well-placed strikes and one dislocated shoulder later, it was over.

Joker's face flashed across the wall screens. " _Welcome to the Arkham Library. History is so important. A traumatic event here! A murder there! It's enough to drive anyone CARAZY!_ "

" _Congratulations! Now all you lucky winners have to do is take a stroll downstairs and save the helpless hostages. Right?_ " They quickly dashed down the stairs (though the statues launched silly spray at them, wasn't lethal), breaking another two sets of chattering teeth, then saw the hostages tied together with another large gift between them. But as Sage rushed closer, a warning from Oz got him to stop; just before he would've run into the electric gate that suddenly activated. " _Oooh, how frustrating!_ " Joker taunted from the TV above the present. " _Thought it was going to be easy, didn't you, Junior? Has that old sod taught you nothing about me? In two minutes, the room will fill with happy gas! The audience will be in fits of ecstasy. And then die!_ " A ticking could be heard as Batman and Oscar ran back to the main part and grappled themselves higher and higher up; the Dark Knight seemed to have a plan. " _One minute thirty to go! Hmm, gotta say, I'm getting bored already. Maybe I should just press the button and… Hahahaha Only joking!_ " _Oscar, above us._ Sage saw with Detective Vision past the glass ceiling and saw the massive chandelier and understood, prying open a grate and leading the way for them through the vents and past the equipment to the top of the ceiling. Sooner than he realized, he was already in front of the chandelier. Drawing a disk with a razor edge, the new mage hurled it straight at the rope, cutting it and letting the heavy object crash fall straight through the glass bottom.

Batman gave him an impressed nod at his decisiveness and jumped straight down, no time for Oscar to climb on him. He simply shot his grapple at the ceiling and jumped after, letting the gun's mechanism slow his fall " _Remember the hostages? They're entering their final sixty seconds of remembering to breathe. Tick tock, tick tock._ " Batman was faster at the hostages, and the only thing heard some kind of weird sound. At least Joker Gas wasn't coming out. As soon as he hit the ground, Sage ran over to see what happened and his gaze fell flat at the big boxing glove popping out of the present, cards spilled all over the floor. _Wow. This is just typical._ Sighing in exasperation, he trudged over to the now untied hostages.

"Thank you, Batman," the surgeon said, rubbing his wrists. "Are they all gone?"

"Yes, you're safe. What happened?"

"It-it all happened so fast! Some patients broke in, began tearing up the place. Like they were looking for something. Bill here fought back, but there were too many! They took Dr. Young. She rushed in here and they followed."

The guard pushed himself and groaned. "I'm sorry. When we came to, we were all tied. Doc Young was gone!"

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Oscar assured him. "Did you maybe notice anything before or after?"

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I heard a voice on one of the radios. It sounded like they were being told to meet in the warden's office!"

"Stay here for now. The danger's passed." Batman then motioned for Sage to step closer and whispered to him, "So, Dr. Young was trying to hide her research notes on the formula when she was caught. Where did you hide them?" They split up, eyes trailing the many books and notes collected on the shelves. _Oscar, over there._ Encouraged by Ozpin, he looked at a particular shelf where a book slightly above him was just a bit more out than the rest. Donning his googles, he saw the doctor's prints on the spine and pulled it out. He flipped through the pages and found another sheet covered in her prints. Scientific jargon he couldn't understand covered it. Without a word, Sage passed his findings to the Caped Crusader, who after a cursory glance, nodded to him and sprayed a touch of gel onto the paper. "Oracle, Sage found Dr. Young's formula."

" _Great going there, Sage!_ " Oscar blushed at the compliment. " _So, does that mean you two stopped Joker?_ "

With a light flash, the paper burned to ash, but Batman was still frowning. Sage repeated at Oz' urging his response, "Come now, Oracle. With the Joker,"

"It's never this simple." Batman finished with a scowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took longer, this chapter was a biggie. And I'm really sorry that Zsasz hasn't returned yet. He'll show up next chapter, I promise. And special thanks to Guest Isa for their suggestion of traps being added. Was the slapper logical or necessary? No. Does it fit Joker's mad sense of humor? Absolutely.


	9. Chapter 8: A Trip Down Horror Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who pops up again right in the middle of trying to save Doctor Young? No one likes an appointment with the doctor...

" _What's that you've got there, Bats? Noo!_ " Joker boomed theatrically from the speakers. " _Not the formula! What am I going to do? Who can help me now?_ "

"A guy with a good sedative and a straightjacket?" Oscar mumbled under his breath.

Apparently, it was just loud enough. " _Oh, hush, you little scamp! The adults are talking! …What's that? How about our old friend Zsasz? Hmm, I did bump into him on the way back from the Gardens, where no doubt he was acting out some twisted fantasy._ " Both heroes had begun climbing for the way out when the madman's name had been mentioned. " _Maybe he can get her talking? I think he probably can. Good plan, Bats._ " But just as they reached the door, they started coughing.

 _Oscar, the vents!_ Through his cough, the boy snapped his gaze at the vents on either side of the door, each one pumping out some vapor with a hiss. Batman had noticed it too and scowled; they all remembered the last time something like this had happened. "Scarecrow's Fear Gas." Sage hadn't asked a question.

"But we can't let it slow us down," Batman said, calmly opening the door and walking through it, Oscar following him. The teen could already hear Crane's laughter echoing in his mind. _It's okay, though,_ He told himself as they walked down the hall. _None of this is real, just hallucinations. My biggest fear was losing myself to you, Oz. And you helped work me through it. Nothing he cooks up can that bad, right?_

 _We're about to find out, my friend. Just be ready._ As they turned the corner, the corridor seemed to go on forever. As they walked towards the exit, Oscar suddenly felt colder and could hear voices. Nothing exact, but they sounded a bit familiar. He tried to look for threats with Detective Mode, but all he got were the voices and that same cackle coming from everywhere. The world kept flashing on and off.

Then he saw some bodies lying near the wall, and the voices started getting clearer. Stepping quickly over to them, Oscar recognized their faces instantly with a gasp, despite it not being possible. "Mom… Dad…," he whispered in grief, falling to his knees. It shouldn't be possible; they died many years ago, on Remnant, he could barely remember what his parents looked like, logically there was no reason for them to be here in Arkham. Ozpin and the logical part of his own told him all this. But it still hurt to see their lifeless bodies.

 _Oscar, it's not real. Come on._ The wizard gently encouraging him, Sage rose and wiped his left tear duct before moving forward. However, Batman was nowhere to be seen, and he was moving at a slower pace, wary for traps. And the whispers continued. Some sounded male, some female, some old, some young, but they all somehow rang a bell with him. " _Oscar, supper's almost ready!_ " Another body came into view, that of his beloved guardian. "Auntie," he said, looking away from her open-mouthed face. Then three more corpses leaning against the opposite wall came into view. " _Hey, Dad!_ " But he'd never really met in all his life. " _Daddy!_ "

His life. _No, this is- this is not good._ Ozpin was almost more shaken than him. " _It's what I do._ " It was a young boy with brown skin and dark hair, no more than six years old, holding even in death a little girl two or three years younger than him. Their silver, lifeless eyes stared into nothing. _Aadav… Ashi…_ They were both lying on top of a woman with the same skin tone and hair color, looking, but still beautiful to Oscar. _Aapti…_ Oscar gaped in realization as he stared a bit longer at the family. He'd seen them in Jinn's vision, but to know their voices, their names: They were Ozpin's, or more accurately, a family that he once had many, many centuries ago. The incarnation that had first constructed the Long Memory. _This isn't good, at all._

_Wait, what's going on? We're still separate, I get that seeing my family dead would be scary, and I'm not happy about seeing them like this, but-_

_This dose must be even stronger than the previous one; it's also affecting_ _my_ _memories,_ _my_ _perception of fear._ Oscar shook himself physically and psychologically in an effort to draw courage. This was all more than a bit disturbing, but at the end of the day, they weren't really there. He willed his feet to keep moving forward, even though more bodies started lining the walls. Voices he all knew mingled with the rushing of the wind. The entire hallway had dead people on either side as each face and each voice was one he'd seen in one lifetime or another. They all represented someone Ozma or Ozpin had known well, that he'd cared for, in some cases even loved. Some had been killed by Grimm, others lost to illness or accident, and others still to the passage of time. And it was practically endless.

Then right after they had passed the first Maidens, four little bodies, two on each side, came into view and stopped his heart. " _Mother, father, look!_ " " _Don't cry!_ " " _Surprise!_ " " _Papa!_ " They were all little girls in dresses, each with their own colors; blue, green, pink, brown. Oscar wasn't even sure who spoke now. "Eirwen, Kore, Dahlia, Aurelia…" the last one came out as a weak gasp. He tried not to cry at the sight of his- Ozma's daughters just lying there, but he couldn't help it. They looked so innocent, so beautiful, even in death. Even without the millennia-old hero inside him, the young boy considered their deaths a terrible tragedy. Moving on was part willpower, part desperation on both of their behalves.

And still it continued. " _I'll stand by you, Ozpin, I promise._ " " _Please, drop the formalities._ " Leo Lionhardt, James Ironwood; the two headmasters and longtime friends of Ozpin stood dead opposite to one another, their faces set in anguish. " _Hoho, what a glorious day!_ " " _Hmmthisisrathercurious._ " " _They're supposed to be the defenders of the world._ " Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, Glynda Goodwitch; all three of Oz' colleagues and friends leaned like puppets with their strings cut against the right wall. " _Thank you, Professor._ " " _Meeting you… was the worst luck of my life._ " A woman that looked like a grown version of Ruby ( _her mother, Summer Rose_ ) sat slumped next to Qrow on his left, a feeling of despair apparent in their posture.

" _Congratulations, Oz, you're still human even after all this time._ " " _My side works within the law._ " Barbara Gordon was within her father's embrace, neither moving so much as an inch as the rain fell on them. " _Don't add me… to the weight… either of you… carry…._ " Another man, elderly but with a peaceful expression, even in death, came next. _Alfred,_ Oz explained without prompting, _Bat- Bruce's butler and the closest thing to a father he now has. A man of unquestionable dignity_ _and loyalty._ And just across from him sprawled Batman himself; costume tattered and mask partially ripped off. " _This city needs me._ " But his unmoving face showed no trace of fear, only sheer will.

At this point, he was practically staggering from all the people, the absence of life in all of them. "Oh, gods, no," Oscar (he was pretty sure that he was Oscar) whispered and stopped as he saw even more lying around him. " _This team isn't the same without you, Oscar._ " " _W-well, you're not_ _that_ _old, Professor._ " " _We weren't ready to be Huntsmen._ " " _Cute boy Oz!_ " They were Team JNPR, each looking so broken, even Nora, with all her energy, just lay there as still as a rock. "Jaune… and that's Pyrrha, right? His partner, the one you…"

 _Wanted as the next Fall Maiden? Yes._ Ozpin sounded so drained, like seeing his students in this state drained his energy away. _A hope I had out of desperation. I truly wish she had been spared from her fate. All of them._ But if this wasn't enough to make their spirit fall, what lay further down in a pile certainly did the trick. "Oh, please, no…" The farmboy whispered as he stumbled to the crowning sight of this ordeal.

And the voices reached a crescendo. " _No more secrets. No more half-truths._ " " _Does it even matter?_ " " _You know, I'm getting real tired of people choosing what's best for me._ " " _Good luck in there._ "

Lying in a pile were the lifeless, anguished bodies of Team RWBY. At this point, he couldn't stay on his feet anymore, instead he crawled on all fours until he was in front of them. "Yang… Blake… Weiss…" Oscar's voice choked with the last sob. "Ruby…" the girl who had inspired him to stand for what's right, who had consistently treated the farmhand with respect and kindness, who had given both of them so much hope. Now, she lay on top of her fallen teammates, cold as ice. Her face was set in despair.

For a brief while, the body of Oscar Pine was replaced with that of Professor Ozpin, as he mourned the image of his students in such a state. _Whatever else you think of me, Oscar,_ he said with a voice that sounded timelessly sad, _I would never wish such a fate on any of them._

 _I know, Oz, and I'm sorry, too, for ever thinking you were heartless._ Gingerly, the boy (or maybe the man) picked himself and straightened. _But… this is just a hallucination, right? It's not real. They haven't died yet… have they?_

_No, they haven't. I doubt they could fall so easily. And we may be able to keep that way._

His face set in determination as he stepped around the corpses, walking briskly onward. _Yeah, we do. So let's wrap this up with Arkham. Then we'll find a way back to Remnant, stand by them, and help them, so this never happens to them._ He turned back to look at his allies ne last time, but they were gone. In fact, further down, all the bodies were gone. There weren't even any more voices, just rain and the whistling of the air.

 _Of course._ As Sage faced forward, he was greeted with the same warped, patchwork world as last time. Steeling himself, almost feeling a gentle pat on his shoulder, he walked under the arch where three stone maidens rested together and onto brick floor. A bell could be heard ringing in the distance. " _ **What are you trying to do?**_ " Scarecrow's voice echoed as his giant syringe-fingers rested on the wall to Oscar's left before drifting away. Shaking his head, Sage rallied himself and waited until the villain's searing gaze passed over the path, then sprinted forward. He crouched under a piece of metal and pulled down a fire ladder with his grapple, then quickly climbed up before finding himself on a grass path with stone walls to his left. " _ **Foolish child.**_ " The syringes were thrust into the dirt further down, and skeletons rose to attack the hero as he approached. Oscar's body changed to Ozpin's and back in between flashes of lightning, but he effortlessly scattered their bones while staying out of Scarecrow's sight. Knocking the last skeleton to pieces, he continued, at times running from hiding spot to open ground, at times shimmying along the walls. Every now and then, he would be Ozpin, then Oscar Pine again, but both weren't really bothered with this little trick. " _ **Do you seriously hope you can surpass fear?**_ " Scarecrow taunted while summoning more skeletons at one point. Ozpin's cane struck with certainty and precision, batting away their clubs while dissembling boney limbs. And then the journey continued, grappling up one ledge, jumping down one stage to the next, all the while, Sage kept his cool, refusing to let his anxiety gain a foothold. Oz encouraged and advised him all along the way.

The pair jumped past one swinging pendulum to another part of the path, then crawled under Scarecrow's glare as he swept through, fingers twitching in excitement. " _ **I will break you, little boy!**_ " The disgraced doctor cackled, looking to where he heard something.

"You know," Scarecrow whirled 180 degrees around at the voice, "Bane said the same thing." Sage inserted his trusty weapon inside the familiar pedestal. "And he didn't win, either." With a twist, the gears turned as Scarecrow raised his fist. Then emerald light surged from underneath the mage, blinding the monstrous form.

* * *

Oscar shook his head in an attempt to dispel the throbbing. It soon receded, probably due to the fresh air and raindrops giving him something to focus on-wait a minute, raindrops?!

He looked around in confusion. "How did I manage to get from the hallway to a balcony?" The boy wondered aloud, staring out in the cool night while leaning against the railing. At least he was on the mansion's balcony, considering he could've wandered straight into the water at the way the night had been going.

 _I suppose the gas affected our minds so much that your body began moving of its own accord,_ Ozpin mumbled in light shock as Sage turned back to the door and tried the handle. Mumbling in frustration over how he could've gotten onto the balcony through a locked door ( _Your grapple gun_ ), his comm suddenly chimed. " _Sage, what's your status?_ " Batman called, concern evident." _Do you read me?_ "

Oscar put his finger to the device and responded, "Batman, I'm fine. Just got turned around by Scarecrow's little surprise. Now I just need to get off this balcony, don't ask me how I managed that. What about you?"

" _In the mansion's belfry. And tell Ozpin to stop laughing._ " Sage bit down on his lip to keep his smile from spreading, both from Oz chuckling and his own amusement. " _Head back to the hall, I put a tracker in your belt, just in case. I'll meet you there._ " Both signing off, the emerald warrior looked around, trying to find a way. A loud banging could be heard from within and the entire wall shook. Then as he tested the railing and looked down at the windows, an idea formed in his head. Moving back a few steps, Sage sprinted and jumped off the balcony before turning in midair to fire his grapple at the roof. He then let the rope send him down to the window level and swung forward to crash through the glass, tucking his body together at the point of impact. He hit the ground rolling with a light wince; even with his Aura, that hurt. But on the bright side, the boy found himself back in the hall he had started. He got to his feet, dusted himself off, and then just stared at the giant bell lying amidst all the rubble. He glanced upwards towards the ceiling, then back at ground level. "You got here quick," Oscar jolted at the sudden voice and spun around; the Dark Knight stood there completely stoic. "Good. Let's keep moving." He then strode towards the door for the east wing of the mansion, acting as though causing heavy bells to fall stories down was a completely normal night for him.

 _Then again, who am I to talk about normal?_ Sage thought sardonically as he ran to keep up with his friend. And the intercoms chimed with another Joker-message. " _Has anyone seen the Bat or his leprechaun? C'mooon, someone must've seen where they went! Big scary man? Wears a cape? Tiny tanned boy with an admittedly stylish cane? Jump out of the shadows and beat up useless thugs? Anyone? No? Ha, good!_ " By this point, Sage was largely unimpressed with the guy's crazy rants and just wanted to let off some steam after the things he'd watched. An opportunity presented itself in the next room, in the form of a grunt standing guard. He brandished a stun baton as soon as he saw them, yelling, "You try and get past me, Bats, and I will fry you!" And a second guy with another baton stepped out from behind the statue of warden Sharpe.

Exchanging looks, Batman went for the one at the door while Sage drew his cane and waited for his friend. An overhead swing was batted to the side, and then the Long Memory smacked his cheek before knocking his jaw up, making the goon fall unconscious to the floor. Oscar then attached his weapon back to his belt and returned to Batman, who had just kneed his attacker in the face. " _Oh, there you are!_ " Joker called out from the screens mounted on the walls. As they focused on him, the clown's grin widened. " _I've been waiting for you, listening to Zsasz make the good Doctor scream while you boys played around in Scarecrow's world. How was it this time? Learn anything about yourselves? Oh, tell me. Pull up a seat, talk to me! Maybe call up Ozzy, get him to come down here. I'm sure he'd be all ears like me._ " _Believe me, Joker,_ Oz growled at the theatrics, _in my current state, you'd pray I weren't here._

" _Actually, that reminds me. I could've sworn I heard Zsasz cutting. Her. Ears. Off. Certainly sounded like it!_ " His manic laughter carried on for a minutes before the video ended. Batman, who had only been half-paying attention while he searched the restrooms and looked at some vitrine with red googles and a whip, quickly returned to throw the door open; just in time to see Zsasz drag Dr. Young out of sight, a knife at her throat. "Stay where you are, Batman! Listen to me carefully."

"Help me! Please, somebody help me!" The doctor was beyond terrified as both heroes kept at a brisk pace after them. Batman quietly whispered a plan to Sage, who subtly nodded and prepared himself. The boy stood in the threshold, hands raised in a placating gesture, while the older man crouched out of sight.

"Come any closer, and I'll paint the room crimson with her blood!" Dr. Young screamed in fright as Ozpin surfaced, keeping a calm stance. Oscar trusted him to handle this.

"There's no need for this, Zsasz. You have a choice here, you can choose to let her go."

"You don't understand, boy," Zsasz almost whispered. "I can see the veins in her neck throbbing. I can smell her sweat and tears as they run over her flesh…"

" _Zsasz, what are you talking about?_ " Joker barked from the overhead screen. " _Just kill her, she's useless to me now. And if that boy's anything like Ozzy, he's not harmless._ "

"But if I kill her, the Bat will get me!"

" _Oh, you're not scared of a little bat, are ya, Slicey?_ "

"If you're quite done, Joker," Oz said in the tone of someone scolding a prankster. He then focused on Zsasz. "Victor, you can feel her fear, her anxiety. You hold the power of life and death right now, so you can prove yourself stronger than the urge for bloodshed. You can grant life instead of death." The killer actually paused at those words, processing them.

Joker himself gave an impressed grin. " _Oh lala, you've been hiding some tricks, haven't you, Junior? That sounds like something your ol' pinhead would say!_ " Then his cheer slipped away. " _Bad enough he kept spoiling my fun with Bats, appealing over and over again to his better nature. I'll teach him to try and steal_ _my_ _playmates._ " Joker turned to Zsasz. " _Now stick it to her. Have a blast!_ "

Zsasz shook his head before tightening his grip. "I… I need to make the kill. I can't… wait." His knife's tip pressed into her neck, making the woman cry out again.

Ozpin sighed. "I understand." He lowered his hands, signaling Batman to throw the batarang he'd been holding. The bat-shaped weapon twisted in its arc and struck Zsasz in the head, stunning him and slackening his grip. Ozpin had already begun moving the moment he'd seen the batarang, and in a green flash, he pulled Dr. Young away before felling him with a right hook. Joker just signed off with a facepalm. Then his eyes flashed again, letting Oscar come back to check on the former hostage. "Are you hurt?" he asked gently.

"I-I'm okay, thank-thank you," Dr. Young sobbed before falling to his knees. She then began beating on Zsasz' bare chest. "You monster! You evil, evil, evil monster!"

"He's not going anywhere," Batman noted as he walked next to Sage, nodding to him approvingly. "courtesy of an old friend. You can stop now."

Dr. Young knelt there crying a bit longer until they helped her up. "Sorry… I'm so sorry!" she whispered to both of them.

"We saw Bane." The tone was blunt, but not judging. Not yet.

The doctor spoke hurriedly to explain herself. "I know, I… Joker threatened me. I wanted to stop the experiment. I tried to give him his money back."

"Joker doesn't take no for an answer."

"He wants an army, a horrible, twisted force to destroy Gotham. But he couldn't do it without the formula. I hid it, but-"

"He forced you to tell it yourself." Sage finished with a sympathetic look for the shivering woman.

Batman glared at nothing. "So now he has Venom, and your formula."

"God, he has gallons of the stuff." Dr. Young led them up the stairs towards the warden's desk. "There's a lab, hidden in the Gardens. It's locked off but the security key codes for the entire island are in the warden's safe!" She had walked over to a bronze plaque mounted next to the fireplace, Oscar following her with a wary expression. _Something doesn't feel right, Oz._

"What else is Joker planning?" Batman asked from the bottom of the steps.

"How should I know?" Young asked, pulling the plaque away. "You think anything he says makes sense? I think he's insane-" But whatever else she would've said got cut off by a horn and confetti spraying from the safe, a nasty smile painted in green. "Oh my god!" she cried as Sage, eyes wide, tried pulling her back with one hand while the other glowed green.

"Sage, get out of the way!" A loud boom, then they all got blown back.

 _Oscar… Oscar? Oscar!_ As the boy opened his eyes, the whole world spun with a loud ringing. He could feel hands prodding him. "Oh, good, you're not dead!" Harley swam in and out of view. "Sorry bout the bang, there, sweetie. I didn't want ya gettin' caught up in it. But neat bubble trick there, and this green glowy thing ya got, that's kinda cool! Hey, meathead!" Rougher hands wrapped around his chest, forcing him to stand. "Do it gently, fer cryin' out loud!" She then strutted sideways over to some black shape on the wall, with goons standing around it. "Poor Dr. Young. Still, you know how Mr. J hates a squealer." His eyes started focusing; Quinn then stepped away from the shape -Batman- and grabbed the warden's cane, pulling a muffled Sharpe forward. "Talkin' about squealers…"

She then pulled the tape off the man's mouth, making him cry out in pain. Then Harley jabbed the cane in his belly, making him groan, "Somebody help me-" just before she cracked him across the head, making the cane's base snap off and clatter to the floor. The goon behind Sharpe had to hold him up more than restrain him.

"That old loony actually thinks he runs this place! Talk about crazy. Well, Bats, places to go. Get 'im, boys!" Harley then sauntered to Oscar, ruffling his hair. "C'mon, kiddo! We can get a chance to talk now, eat some sweets, away from B-Man and Mr. J." She started walking off, throwing away the rest of the broken cane.

At this point, Sage's Aura was still depleted, but his mind sharpened, and he leaned forward, pulling the thug behind him along and flipping him over his shoulder. Though he staggered a bit, his right hand found his cane and drew it, holding it in defensive position. The next one coming at him was kicked to the ground by Batman, who then stood protectively in front of the teen. "Oh, fine," Harley huffed with a pout. "If you wanna stay with B-Man, I can't hold it against ya. If he gives ya trouble, knock the Bat down, but not too rough. Mr. J needs him at the party." Her expression darkened. "And if any of ya get too mean with the squirt, I'll snip off your kiwis myself!" She then dragged a blubbering Sharpe away, ignoring the trembling thugs left behind.

They then rallied themselves and attacked together. Batman was mindful of his partner's weakened state, so he took the initiative. One thug got beaten back with rapid jabs while he wrenched the other's stun baton from him, kicked his legs out, then jammed it into his belly. The Dark Knight then snapped it in two and tossed the pieces at a third, throwing him off guard, then lunged at the fourth. That one was tackled to the ground and got his lights punched out, then his friend was kicked against the wall. The final guy figured his chances were better with the kid, only to find his back against the carpet and the cane's tip striking his cheek.

With all of them down for the count, Batman crouched by Oscar, gently checking him for injuries. "How are you? Is there anything broken?" The shook his head "How's your Aura?"

"It's recharging, but Oz says it'll be a while before I'm back to full strength," Sage winced as he rolled his shoulders. Then he looked to the woman sprawled on the floor. "Is she…?"

Batman knelt by her, scanning her form. She was covered in soot, but her chest moved. "She's still breathing. Your shield kept her from the worst of the explosion, but she's in critical state." He applied a little first aid and then activated their comms. "Oracle, Dr. Young's in bad shape. She needs medical attention."

" _Gotcha, Medical's back under staff control. They ought to be able to keep her in stable condition. I'll send a call right away. What about you, Sage? How are you holding up?_ "

"Battered, but unbroken, thanks." As three people were about to express their concerns, he waved them off. "Look, thanks for the concern, but I can still keep going. Oracle, have you figured out a way past these security gates? Before the bomb went off, she told us there's a lab hidden somewhere in the gardens."

" _The WayneTech security protocols seem to be hack-proof, Lucius did a good job. It's a two-part biometric sequence apparently operated by the Warden, using a code sequencer._ "

"And destroyed by Joker in the safe explosion." Batman continued. "Harley Quinn has the Warden, and he's the only chance we have to get past these gates."

" _Okay, good luck. And don't overdo it, Sage._ " She then signed off, but Batman still kept an eye on him. "You're stronger than you look, but Oracle's right. If you feel that you can't keep up, tell me. I've lost partners before because I didn't watch out for them."

Noting his melancholy tone, Oscar nodded with a light smile. "I will, I promise." He then looked down at the broken cane piece. "So first the Warden, then Harley, then Joker, and Scarecrow if we run into him, right?" He didn't think he was a violent person, but that guy deserved at least a few good hits for the things he'd put Oscar, Ozpin and probably Batman.

"Right. And it starts with Quinn's latest mistake." They both scanned the small pool of blood under the cane with Detective Mode; sure enough, there was a DNA trail they could follow. It led them back through the way they had came in, though the pair briefly deviated to collect one trophy and break more than a couple of chattering teeth. But as they reached the main hall, they could hear voices. "Any sign of him yet?"

"Geez, what're you doin'? Tryin' to get me beat up?" Three goons with guns were aiming from the area of the door behind where the cracked bell lay. Batman and Sage grappled themselves up to the gargoyles to take stock.

"Shut up over there."

"We're in the tunnel. Waiting for the Bat and his kid. Harley Quinn just went through. Why's she got the old man with her?"

"Maybe she likes older guys. Stop yakking. You'll ruin everything." Gargoyle by gargoyle, they swung to the other side of the room before descending.

"Geez, calm down!"

"Tell him to shut it. Now!" Batman disabled the first with a simple chokehold, then they split up to each take one out. They had to be quick; they were all armed with suicide collars. Sage reached his just before the first one's started ringing. _Oscar, go for the chin._ The boy jumped up as the thug turned around, and slammed his open palm against his stubble and makeup-covered chin, forcing the back of his head against the wall and jiggling the guy's brain. He was unconscious before he toppled, Oscar gently lowering him to the ground. _Good work, Oscar. Remember what I taught you about the chin._

 _Crack it, and the brain rattles._ Oscar remembered with a smirk as he saw Batman pounce on the other guy who didn't even hear the ringing of the first collar. One dropkick was all it took, and they were already heading for the door to the entrance hall. Warden Sharpe could be heard from the intercom. " _Let me go, you crazy bitch!_ "

" _Uh-uh, Sharpie used a bad word! Momma spank!_ " Then the man yelled out from something hitting him. " _Hey, Bats, you gonna join the party or what? Or how 'bout you, sweetie? I got me some fresh snacks!_ " Exchanging an exasperated look, the two simply followed the trail to the outside. At this point, Oscar could use something to eat, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see the O's second tangle with Scarecrow. Like I said a few chapters ago, losing himself to Ozpin is one of Oscar's greatest fears, no doubt, but it's not his ONLY fear. And the Fear Gas can affect Ozpin too. So in case I was too vague, here's another fear, for both of them; fear of losing all their loved ones and being surrounded by only death. (Oh, and I am a light Rosegarden shipper, but this isn't a romance story. So please don't bug me about that part) The names of Ozma's loved ones are a homage to Otaku with Hazel Eyes' "Ozma and Family Series," seriously, those stories are a must-read for any Ozpin-fan.


	10. Chapter 9: Dealing With Dames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still a bit shaken from the wrong end of an explosion, Oscar now has to meet the finer gender of Arkham Asylum's guests.

Outside, the rain had picked up again while they walked down the stairs, following the DNA trail. And it seemed Harley was having fun with her captive; the intercom sounded with Sharpe's voice. " _As of ten minutes ago, I have made it illegal to walk on the floor in any part of the asylum. Anyone caught doing so will be-oh, this is stupid_ " only to cry out before continuing, " _Anyone caught doing so will have their legs removed and perform magic tricks for Emperor Joker. There, I did it, I-_ " then another yell in pain accompanied with the sound of electricity.

" _Yer doin' great, Sharpie!_ " Harley said mockingly. " _Ready for more?_ " Both knew there wasn't any time to waste; they sprinted straight for the abandoned tunnel that led back to the Medical facility. Iron bars were locked over the entrances.

"That's the last gate, we've locked them all," one thug reported on the other side. "The Bat's not getting through here." _Wanna bet?_ Sage followed Batman's lead in grappling to the top of the arch. From there, he held onto the older hero's back as he glided towards the next one.

"But if the Joker wanted to slow Batman down, why'd he open up access to this tunnel in the first place?" Behind the next gate was a cluster of goons, some carrying pipes and knives. They climbed on top, then prepared.

"Questionin' the boss again? You've done nuthin' but whine since we got busted out."

"Yeah, Joker sends his girlfriend down and tells us to guard the tunnel, we guard the tunnel. Joker tells us to kill the Bat and nab the kid followin' him, we kill the Bat and nab the kid followin' him."

"Hey, izzit true that kid's got something to do with that Oz guy who showed up on Christmas, what, five years ago?" At that, Batman held up a hand, confusing his partner. He simply motioned for him listen to what they were saying.

"Eight years, but yeah, I heard that too. Man, I ran into him back in Blackgate when Joker got locked up there. Looked like some kinda fancy-pantsy guy at first, but he took me and seven others out alone without breaking a sweat. Never saw him again afterwards."

"Yeah, I got my arm busted thanks to him. Yeesh, you shoulda seen the beatdown he gave Bane back at the Royal Hotel. Oz hit him with that stick so hard, the big lug almost twirled around like a ballerina." The group laughed at that. "No, seriously, there's a video of that fight on Youtube, check it out."

"But he weren't as scary as the Bat. The guy actually saved my sister and her family from getting kidnapped. She said he was a decent guy, and my nephew's savin' up cash for fencing classes cause of him. Wonder what happened to him?" Oscar wondered with a little grin if he could somehow give a mental elbow nudge to his mentor; Batman hadn't been lying when he said that Ozpin had left an impression.

"Eh, who knows? From everythin' the dude just showed up for that one night, then was never seen again. Kind of a mystery, y'know? Like the boss. I mean, don't get me wrong, but Joker acts all… crazy one minute and then the next he's all plans and jobs. Who knows what goes on in the heads of those guys?" _I have an idea about one of them,_ Sage mused as he and the Dark Knight hurled their respective projectiles at the goons, knocking them off guard, just as one was scolding the others to shut up because it was meant to be an ambush. Then the pair jumped from their perch to apply the coup de grace to all of their heads. One managed to scramble back up with a pipe, but one poke with the Long Memory to the nose and he fell right back down. _Why were they chatting the whole time? That guy was right, this_ _was_ _supposed to be an ambush._

 _Probably boredom mixed with confidence. Why does anyone do anything?_ Batman had just pulled up the last thug's head and slammed it back down, then he briefly went back up to retrieve a trophy that was behind another set of gates. As soon as he returned, they went through the door to Arkham West. Little had changed since their last run through, aside from the ambulance set on fire and halfway off a ledge. It slowly toppled over and blew up hitting the ground as they walked closer. Fortunately, no one had been hurt. Then the intercom rang again. " _This is the warden. It is vital that everyone unload their sidearms immediately. Argh! I recommend unloading them into… I can't read this- Argh! Unloading them into your head!_ " _Poor man,_ Ozpin muttered, _this is really not going to do his political career any favors._

According to Detective Mode, a sniper was in the tower ahead, watching over the small gang of perps out in the open before the Cell Blocks. From the looks of things, there were a few innocents by the latter. Batman and Sage looked at them, then at each other. "You handle the sniper, take a chance to recover more of your energy." Batman advised. "I'll handle the ones at ground level."

"Right." Oscar sprinted as quietly as he could to the tower before grappling. The goon with the rifle didn't even notice he was there until the teen had grabbed his forehead and pulled, smacking his head against the railing and then pulling him over completely; he didn't get a chance to fall far thanks to the rope Oscar had wrapped around his ankle. Hoisting himself on top, Sage first took apart the sniper rifle ( _Thanks for the lectures, Ruby_ ) and then headed via the walkway to where his partner was fighting.

The covering of the Visitor Center was a little more complete, but neither he nor Oz figured there was any sort of message in there that would've been helpful. So they kept going, and even there had only been a few minutes' difference in their arrivals, Batman was already halfway done. Three goons were desperately charging him in the hopes of landing a blow, but even a rookie like Oscar could tell who had the advantage here. _What say we help the orderly?_ His spirit-teacher offered as the crime-fighter broke one guy's leg.

 _Sure._ Sage walked over to the man who was still curled up in a ball and gently pulled him to his feet, assuring him he was safe. After checking to make sure nothing was broken, he helped him over to the guard lying nearby. Batman dropkicked the last goon and came over to them. "Thank you, Batman," the orderly said as knelt by the man, "the guard wouldn't have lasted much longer."

"Is he OK?" Oscar asked; a glance with his googles indicated he was at least still breathing.

"He struck his head when they knocked him to the ground." _So there is a possibility of a concussion. And their kicking him while he was down probably didn't help the matter. Good thing he was wearing his equipment._

"Move him away from here as soon as you can," Batman instructed. "Take him to the Medical facility. It's the safest place on the island."

"Okay, I'll go with him as soon as he's able to stand." Seeing as they couldn't do much else there, Batman and Sage turned towards where the warden's DNA led; to the Cell Block door, the boy making a detour in another vent beforehand to collect another of Riddler's toys.

Inside at the end of the hall, three thugs, one armed with a gun were standing over two guards lying on the floor of a larger room. "Is he dead?" one asked.

"Think so." Another kicked one of the bodies lightly; no response.

"When did he die?" Both warriors stepped quietly down the hall, the lackeys failing to notice them.

"Probably when you shot him." Yeah, these guys really weren't the brains of the operation.

"Yeah, that'll do it. You hungry?" "Starved." And that is when Batman and Sage made their presence known. At the very least, they got to enjoy a few knuckle sandwiches and some licorice hits before taking an involuntary nap.

After that, they headed down the winding path of the corridors, following any trace of Sharpe's blood. "How are you holding up?" Batman asked as he checked the nearby restrooms for Riddler puzzles while Oscar shattered three teeth chattering away nearby.

"Better. Maybe it's because of Oz, but my Aura recharges a bit faster than most. I shouldn't have any issues with fighting."

"And mentally?" They had retraced their steps to where they would have to walk through a locked door. "I know you've already seen quite a few things tonight, and unfortunately, we're in the part of the complex where the more violent patients are locked up. And one other inmate who's particularly dangerous."

"Well, I haven't really broken down since Scarecrow's last prank, so maybe I'm just developing an immunity to these things. After all, Remnant's not exactly an easy place to relax." Noticing the look the detective gave him, he reassured, "I'm not running away from this, I promise. I said I'd help you, and if nothing else, Oz has got our backs." _Always._

"Alright," Batman nodded in consent, "but stay alert. We're now going through the main cell block." A scanner over the door swept over the Caped Crusader's form for a moment, then the door opened itself. _Hmm, the fact the scanner let Batman through, even though security is still under Joker's control, could mean that we're walking into another trap._ They then walked towards an intersection where the trail led to the right, to a simpler gate that opened via motion sensors. Immediately, Oscar could hear a cacophony of cries, growls and grunts from the room they were walking into. And the really disturbing things about all of those sounds was that they were still human. People in various forms of restraints -headlocks, straightjackets, you name it- howled and snapped from behind their cells, which seemed to be more like animal cages. Sage's hand drifted to his collapsed cane as he tried to keep an eye on all sides _Steady now, Oscar,_ Ozpin advised him. _All of these inmates are people that were simply broken mentally in one form or another. They are as much a danger to themselves as they could be to others._

 _Yeah, I'm not expecting them to want to give us a couple of hugs._ Averting his gaze from the lunatics, he then frowned at something. "The floor," he started while tapping his foot against the clear surface, catching Batman's attention, "why is it built like that? Is there some kind of safety precaution?"

"Yes. By activating the security switch, the entire floor can have an electric charge run through it. The electricity is non-lethal at a lower setting, and the panel areas can be activated individually to break up infighting." He detonated his Explosive Gel against a nearby wall to retrieve another trophy, then led the way to the next gate. While the scanner moved, Batman warned Oscar, "The next room is called the Green Mile because it holds a special prisoner. Whatever you do, don't let your guard down around her." Sage nodded, now feeling even more uneasy about this building. And he could see why when the door opened.

This room was a bit smaller than the one they'd just left, with regular metal floors, but what really stood out was the giant glass cage in the middle. Supported by heavy iron bars on all sides, it seemed to be filled with red mist. A woman was lying in the center, and Oscar had to look away with a blush as they drew closer. _Oh come on! Do any of the female supervillains understand the concept of modesty in this city?!_ His complaints were accurate; the woman showed off much of her green skin by wearing no pants or shoes, just a red shirt, partially buttoned. Red hair flowed from the back of her head as her glowing emerald eyes looked up at them. She scrambled to her feet, her posture desperate. "Stop! Stop! Batman, please! You've got to help my babies!" She pleaded, pressing one palm against the glass. Even as he tried not to look at… certain parts, Sage still noted that up close her veins were visible, and they gave off the appearance of ivy vines.

"I'm really not interested in a bunch of flowers, Ivy." Batman stated bluntly

"They're in pain, crying for help!" She then fixed her gaze on Sage, who stepped back fidgeting. "You, boy! Please help me, my babies need me! The plants on this island, their screams of anguish are ringing though my head!" Her hands went to her hair, wringing it as her face twisted in pain. Oscar felt sympathy for her, but a gauntleted hand rested on his shoulder. Batman shook his head while Ozpin cautioned him mentally.

"Just stay where you are!" the crimefighter told her. "Last thing we need is you running free." With that, he somewhat gently pulled Sage along to the other side of the room. But the boy still felt some sympathy over the way she collapsed.

"We'll see what we can do about the plants." He called out. Ivy looked at him in shock, then gave him a nod that seemed almost acknowledging. "Poor children," he could hear her mumbling as they walked away. "I'll save you. I won't let them hurt you."

"Who is she?" Sage asked as they were out of listening range. "Oz doesn't know her."

"Pamela Isley, publicly known as Poison Ivy. She was once a botanist and active defender of the environment, until her mentor used her as a guinea pig for a mixture of phytohormones. They granted her a connection to plants of all kinds but convinced her that humans are inferior to plants and should therefore be wiped out. So like I said, Sage, stay on guard. Ivy's at least as deadly as Bane or Croc. She's killed hundreds in attempts to purge Gotham." The door to the security control room let them in after the usual scan.

 _I've seen various such beliefs over the centuries, about how animals are superior. No, plants are superior. And of course, the Faunus. Some wanted equality, others simply wanted to be in control. Even without Salem, conflict can arise over the most unusual ideas._ Any chance to continue the discussion was halted when they heard the warden call out, "Please, someone help me!" from the top of the room. They rushed towards the stairs, only for Sage to skid to a halt when he saw Officer Cash locked up in a cell in front of them.

"You've got to get me out of here, kid!" He said pacing. "It's me, Cash! I'm needed out there!" Oscar headed over and almost pulled out his Explosive Gel when Oz cut in. _Wait, that's not the real one. Look at the sign._ Eyes narrowing, he could read in thick, black letters, "DANGER DO NOT APPROACH INMATE MAY BE IMPERSONATING OTHER PERSONELL" _A shapeshifter, or an illusionist. Aside from that mute girl that attacked you, I've had to deal with more than a few over the course of my lives._ And whoever this guy really was, he was a lot chattier than Neopolitan or the real Cash. So the emerald teen spun on his heel and walked back to Batman at the foot of the stairs.

"Clayface. Former actor named Basil Karlo, can now transform his body into nearly anything and anyone. Good work not letting him out, he can be a handful." _And speaking of handfuls,_ Oscar muttered when they walked up and the security gate behind them powered up with an electronic laugh. At least there wasn't any acid sprinklers or pinball slappers this time, just a very beat-up Quincy Sharpe tied to a chair. One of the screens was showing footage of the hall they'd just walked through. Harley Quinn was striding down it, whistling her little tune, until she walked past Ivy's cell and its occupant pounced on the glass with a " _Harley!_ "

Startled, Harley jumped back with a cry, before leaning in closer. " _You have to help me!_ " The plant woman gasped.

" _Ivy? Gee, you look like crap! Maybe I can sneak you some shampoo._ "

" _The plants, can't you hear them? They're crying out to me in agony!_ "

" _Yeah, I don't really have time for this._ "

Ivy's moans of pain grew louder. " _Please, let me out! They'll die without me!_ "

Harley for her part looked a bit torn as she pulled out a scrap of paper from a place Oscar couldn't see from the camera ( _If I'm right, my boy, you're better off not knowing._ ). " _Mm, I dunno, Red. You're not on Mr. J's party list._ " She then shrugged, " _Oh well…_ " and started walking away.

" _Please!_ " Ivy cried out one last time, at which Quinn sighed and came back. " _Ah, what the heck, I'll cut you a break!_ " Batman's eyes narrowed as the clown woman slid her keycard into the slot, letting the door slide open.

Ivy immediately stepped out, stretching out her arms and shaking her hair like she'd just finished a spa session. " _That feels so much better._ " She noted with a stronger tone than Sage had heard from her before. Little leaves started sprouting all over her limbs as she casually sauntered for the exit, but not before blowing Harley a kiss.

Quinn just sighed happily at the display. " _She's a good kid._ " That's when the image shifted to Joker leaning back in his chair, trademark grin plastered on his face. " _I could watch those two all day! What a riot! And speaking of riots…_ " He then straightened up and pulled out a remote. " _Here's a bit of civil unrest I've cooked up just for you guys!_ " With a push of the button, mechanical noises could be heard from the other rooms, and a chorus of giggling and muttering rose. All three heroes, heck even Sharpe, realized what just happened. The inmates' cells had been opened, leaving them free to run loose.

"Cut me free!" The warden said after things had quieted down. Batman walked over and used the blades of his gauntlets to sever the ropes. The old man sagged in his chair. "He's taken control of the security overrides. I have the sequence generator, but without the terminal in my office, it's useless."

"Your terminal is destroyed. Give me the sequencer!" Batman ordered.

"What?" The warden looked up surprised, then started patting himself all over. "Oh, y-yes, of course." He finally pulled out a small keycard and passed it to Batman, who slid it into a small black device. Sharpe still looked resigned. "It's useless. Half the code won't get you anywhere. We're trapped in here."

Oscar however tuned out his pessimism and watched his partner fiddle a bit with his device after removing the card. _Ah, a simplified model of his cryptographic sequencer,_ Ozpin recognized. _Quite useful for hacking into terminals._ "There's always a way out. Always." Batman affirmed before nodding to the boy. "Sage, give me your sequencer. It should be in one of the left front pockets." He found and pulled a dark-green version out, then handed it over. The Dark Knight held the two devices next to each other for a few seconds until Oscar's beeped twice, then returned it. "This'll make things a bit easier. Watch closely now." He then strode to the controls for the gate and prepared his sequencer while kneeling down, Sage hovering over him. He rotated two nodes on either side as a digital screen showed his progress until it turned bright green, then the control box sparked and broke. The gate then shut down, prompting them to right themselves. Batman pulled an old-fashioned sliding gate behind him, advising Sharpe, "You stay here. Lock this gate when we leave."

"Good idea. Can't have someone of my stature falling back into their hands, now can we?" _Yeah, something like that._ Sage thought as Sharpe curled up underneath the desk. he followed Batman down to the ground floor, noting how Clayface had now shifted into a perfect replica of the warden, complete with cane. Then he was Commissioner Gordon when they briefly looked away as Batman led him up to a different section where a one-armed guy with a goatee was breathing heavily.

They stopped before a barred-off cell where a Riddler trophy was. "Consider this practice to familiarize yourself with the sequencer." Batman said, tapping the nearby control. "Ozpin can help you if you're stuck, he used one during our partnership." The vigilante then left to acquire another trophy on the opposite side of the room while Oscar activated his device. It looked complicated (he hadn't exactly picked up hacking skills during his time on the farm), but Oz showed him how to move the two nodes with his thumbs to find the right frequency. _If you think this is difficult, be grateful he hasn't given you the full version. Though I am surprised it hasn't been upgraded._ Eventually, the display showed green, and he jerked his head away when the controls surged with electricity. The bars retracted, and he nabbed the trophy. " _There is no way you two are doing this alone! Who's helping you?_ " the Riddler complained as he met up with Batman at the door.

In the Green Mile, the rest of the cell blocks had all doors open. Two inmates tried pouncing on them like animals, only to flipped over and knocked out with a hard punch each. Oscar felt a little guilty over punching a mentally disturbed person, but he tried to make it as little damaging as possible. But they had bigger problems when they reached the main cell block; as soon as they walked past the door, Quinn jumped out from behind the corner. "Surpriiise!" As she took a mocking bow, she teased, "Glad yer still going strong, lil guy! And didja tell him, Bats, that I always thought there was a spark between us?" She then flipped herself from wall to wall until she had reached the upper floor. Then with a roundhouse kick, the crazy woman broke the glass for a conspicuous red button. "Well now there is!" A gagged guard grunted in pain as the electric panels activated. There was nothing they could've done to save him. "I know, I know, you're shocked! Oh, don't look too bad about it, sweetie, you can't save 'em all. Come and get me, Bats! I double-dare ya!"

Slowly but surely, more panels started lighting up, but both grappled up effortlessly to the railing before they could get electrocuted. Hoisting themselves onto solid, uncharged ground, they took note of the fact that Joker's goons were either rushing them or heading for the gun racks on different sides. Harley was lazily swinging around on a steel beam, yelling, "You guys are idiots! The guns are everywhere." Each rack sounded with an alarm as they tried pulling out the weapons. Without even looking at each other, Batman and Sage ran for different boxes; they knew that they'd have a harder time dealing with the thugs if they started shooting. Oscar slid past one guy trying to grab him and brought his cane down on another's arms going for a rifle. As he hollered in pain, the teen fended off his buddy with swift jabs before smacking that one upside the head, knocking him out. All the while, Quinn watched from her perch. "Whew, sweet moves there! Little hint, boys: keep away from the stick."

"Hey, whose side you on?" One complained just before Batman kicked him down. More rushed in to fight, but luckily, with either gun collection guarded by a hero, they couldn't be as much trouble. Batman flowed like a shadow, alternating punches and kicks as he took down anyone within reach and grappling those who tried staying out of it. And the ones who thought the kid was an easier target found themselves in for surprise. Sage shifted his motions from left to right, one-handed to two-handed, as he weaved and battered his way through the thugs. Now that he had taken his time to let his Aura recharge, no one came even close to touching a gun. Ozpin pointed out strategies and targets as he somersaulted over their heads and swung the Long Memory in a wide arc, knocking the last two to the ground.

"Whoo, awesome moves there," Harley called down to him, clapping her hands. "But check this out!" she leaped from her perch, grabbed onto the exit, and somersaulted through the pass, an electric gate activating after her. Landing in a crouch, she said, "Was that as easy as it looked? Huh, well, it won't be so easy trying to catch me!" She then turned back and added, "Oh, b'fore I forget, sweetie, there's some snacks right over there, help yourself!" Oscar tilting his head in confusion, the woman blew a kiss and ran off.

Together, the warriors walked towards the research part of the room, where Batman headed for the room's controls and Sage curiously walked to the table Harley had pointed at. His gaze turned flat at the mostly full box of oatmeal raisin cookies. _Ruby would probably be outraged if Harley offered her some,_ He thought while pulling one out. Sniffing it experimentally, Ozpin reported that it didn't seem poisoned, so the boy took a bite. Not bad, so he went for more. Noting Batman giving him a look while the control box next to him sparked its last (" _Patient pacification system deactivated_ "), Oscar shrugged. "What? I haven't eaten anything in a while." He offered the box, but got no response, so he finished them off alone as they climbed down for the door.

 _Now don't run too quickly and avoid blows to the stomach. At least until they're fully digested._ Oz told him while they sped down the halls. One psycho jumped out and went for Batman but got pinned down in no time.

 _What are you, my mom?_ Oscar thought with a mock scowl while he fended off another with his cane. He then briefly walked into a room filled with old-fashioned day calendars.

_Ah, Calendar Man, a serial killer who took his victims only on certain days. And I'm simply trying to make sure you stay healthy. Cookies are hardly a balanced form of nutrition, despite what Miss Rose would tell you._

_This coming from the guy who introduced himself to her into Beacon Academy with cookies._ A picture of the room was enough for the Riddler to call them. " _What do you call a pair of detectives who have only solved half of my riddles? Losers?_ "

"And what do you call a guy who spends all of his time coming up with cheap riddles?" Sage retorted as he followed Batman to the guard room. "Someone who needs to get a life?" He then barely registered Riddler's grumblings while they walked into another room where Harley was waiting for them behind viewing window.

" _Hey, sweetie! Enjoy the cookies? Mr. J wanted to give ya poisoned chocolate chip ones, but I found a compromise with simple oatmeal raisin ones!_ " Her mood sobered when she noticed Batman. "And look who's finally turned up! The Dork Knight himself! How's it hanging, Bats?" She then leaned closer to the glass. " _Got a little problem for you Boy Scouts! See those two guards over there?"_ She pointed over in the room; sure enough, two guards were strung up separate over large puddles of water. Electricity crackled underneath them while a large gas canister lay next to them. " _I know, shocking! How ya going to save them?_ "

Batman wordlessly turned to the control box next to the window and pulled out his sequencer. " _Wow, that's a nice toy ya got there, Bats._ " Quinn jeered. " _Can I have one?_ " The box was hacked soon enough, and one of the puddles lost its charge. "No fair, that's cheating, Bats. Time to turn up the pressure. Two minutes and counting." But Sage had already gone for the other box that he couldn't reach because of the electrified water. As he used his own sequencer, Harley actually pouted. " _Aw, come on! He gets one too? Hey, squirt, lemme have a try!_ " But the boy focused on finding the right frequency and managed to deactivate it after only four seconds. " _Hey, great job, kid! Power's off below ole Louie Green! Question is, can you get him down before it comes ba-?_ " But Batman already hurled two batarangs to cut their ropes, and they landed safely into the water. " _Eh, fine. Time for me to go, kid! I'll miss you. But not you, Bats!_ " She then glanced at her wrist. " _Oh, and you only have 30 seconds to get out. Bye bye._ " She sauntered off, leaving them behind.

"You need to get this security gate down. Hurry!" One guard said as they ran over. The Caped Crusader immediately began hacking into it, and after a few tense seconds, the controls broke, the door letting then through. Everyone ran out as fast as they could as the door slammed shut behind them. "Phew," Officer Green said, "I thought we were both gonna die in there."

"You're safe now," Batman assured them.

"You two goin' after that crazy witch? I saw her heading out of the door as we got out of the room."

"She won't get away. We'll stop her and then her boyfriend."

"Good. Listen, I'll go try and get the ventilation system working. If either of you find her, don't go easy on her. For me." As he and the other guard walked to their goals, Harley said via intercom, " _You expecting congratulations, B-Man? C'mon, try and catch me._ " Sage just threw a couple of discs at some chattering teeth and followed Batman's lead. He in turn ran back towards the main cell block after a minor detour into a vent for another trophy, where they ran to another part, breaking teeth toys and Harley taunting them all the way. " _Come on! You getting tired? Let me give you a little help!_ " The gate in front deactivated, leaving the door accessible. " _Ooh, you're getting warmer!_ " With the usual scan, the door let them into the part Batman described as "controlled access." " _That's right, B-Man. You're getting closer!_ " A couple more crazed inmates attacked them, but they weren't much of a threat; Sage dealt with them alone while Batman briefly peered inside a room littered with scratched words and a political bulletin (he seemed a bit sad). But none of this kept them from moving closer to their goal.

The way onward was locked off, but pulling down a grate in the ceiling got them to the next room (and another patient that tried biting them before getting his lights punched out). While Sage sped down the catwalk to neutralize another lunatic hovering over an unconscious guard and swiped another trophy from one of the lower cells, Batman disabled the electric gate below. Climbing down, they walked through to the door. "Ready?" Batman asked as he adjusted his gauntlet.

"Ready,"/ _Ready,_ his partners said simultaneously, Oz partially surfacing to make himself known. Together, they passed the door to Extreme Incarceration, a room divided into three different sections while other places couldn't currently be reached from their spot. One room in the distance looked to be caked in ice. Harley Quinn was waiting from the monitor room. " _Here they come, Mr. J!_ " she said as the screens flickered to show Joker's grinning face.

" _Excellent! I'll leave it to you then, my dear._ " The clown giggled. The door to the right opened with a, " _Get them!_ " from Harley, goons pouring in. Batman and Sage sprang into action, beating down the goons one by one. Some got tossed or knocked into the pit below, their screams ending with thuds; Oscar was worried for a split-second until he heard pained groans, then re-focused. His cane spun through the air, striking arms and legs in a repetitive dance as he moved from place to place. " _Heads up, kid!_ " An electronic buzz started up as the floor panels flickered, so Batman quickly pulled him over to the right section just before electricity coursed through them. The thugs jittered and shook like fish pulled out of water until they shut down again. _The voltage isn't high enough to kill anyone, but it would incapacitate us even with Aura or armor._ Sage nodded at his mentor's warning. As they climbed back down, more men arrived from the other section's door and rushed them, only to get battered all over the place. The pair fought like a well-trained team, helping one another out when there seemed to be too many. Oscar stunned one with a kick to the stomach, then Batman finished him with an uppercut; Batman threw one guy into another, leaving them open to get knocked out by Oscar's cane. Soon enough, the floor buzzed again, " _Let's turn up the heat! Anyone up for fried bat-wing?_ " and they climbed to safety as the rest got shocked into unconsciousness. The pattern continued as knives, pipes and clubs were wrested out of the thugs' hand while they got flattened or thrown off the platform. Even with more pouring in, one by one, their numbers dwindled. Sage flipped one to the floor and dislocated his arm, Batman pounced onto another and smashed his fist into his face, and it was over. " _Way to go, sweetie!_ " Harley cheered before noticing Joker's frown. " _Uh, I mean, they've done it again, I don't believe it! I'm on my way back now!_ "

Joker's smile wasn't pleasant at all. " _Oops, change of plans, kiddo. I don't recall saying you could root for Ozzy's bastard brat._ "

" _But I tried my best! I'm team Joker all the way!_ " Harley whined.

" _Sorry, but there is no prize for second-place and half-hearted effort. I'm afraid you're off the party list. Better luck next time._ " Joker gave a little wave before his screens shut off.

" _Nooo!_ " She threw a little tantrum, then ran out of sight. As the two approached the main door, it opened when Quinn came through. "Outta way, squirt!" She sprinted headlong for Batman, yelling, "Die, ya big ugly bat!" As Oscar casually stepped aside, the villain performed a series of back-flips before launching a kick straight at the detective. Batman caught it effortlessly and tossed her against the railing. _I appreciate her enthusiasm,_ Oz thought flatly, _but that was just too transparent._ Sage agreed with a sigh as they stepped closer. Batman grabbed her by the arm, but she swatted it away. "Hey, hands off the merchandise!" When the boy offered her a hand, she looked at him for a moment, then sighed and grabbed it, letting him help her up. Batman noticed something and reached for a place that made the young warrior look away with reddened cheeks. He pulled out that paper Quinn had earlier while talking to Ivy and showed it to Sage; it appeared to be a list of names. "That's my party list!"

"Quiet." Oscar and Ozpin could only recognize Waylon Jones and Oswald Cobblepot, and the Dark Knight showed it to her. "Why the smiles next to certain names?"

"You're the detective, you tell me!" Harley replied, leaning against the railing. As Batman stored it away, she went for a punch that Sage caught. Even with the difference in age and size, her fist didn't budge.

Oscar let her struggle for a bit while Batman strode to a nearby empty cell. "Please stop, okay?" She gave up after a bit, letting the boy scan her hand per Oz' instructions. _Good move, she's been to every part of this island, so knowing where she's gone can help us find the Titan._ Noting how sad the woman looked, Oscar scratched his head and said, "H-hey, thanks for the cookies back there, I was kinda hungry."

Her expression brightened while she was led to the cell. "Aww, no prob', kid. …Sooo, I don't suppose you'd let me go for them?"

"Nope." Harley sighed with a shrug, but walked into the cell without protest. "But we'll make sure Joker doesn't get off for what he did." Sage offered.

As the bars slammed shut, Harley laughed a bit. "Nice try, but you guys won't find Mr. J! he's in the secret lab in the gardens and…" as they walked away, she realized her blunder. "Aw, crap!"

"Yup." Sage said.

"We know." Batman finished, giving his partner an approving nod.

"Damn. Well, he'll get me out! You'll see." She then moved away from the bars and sank onto the cot. "Yeah, you'll see…" Oscar felt a bit sorry for her, but even without Batman or Ozpin, he knew that she was still a criminal and partially responsible for the things that happened tonight. _What does she see in that freak?_ He wondered as she started bawling some over-the-top fake tears.

_Given my own romantic experiences, I cannot give a comment on that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, sorry this took longer, I don't really have an excuse. I just hope you all enjoy the latest chapter.


	11. Chapter 10: To The Botanical Gardens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation's growing tenser by the second, but Batman at least has a plan. Too bad it involves dealing with a certain plant-controlling and -loving redhead.

While Harley did her little act, Sage offered Batman his scan of her fingerprints. After a moment of linking the scanners, Batman called their support. "Oracle, we're done. Harley is… subdued, and thanks to Sage, I have her prints scanned."

" _So you can find the secret lab in the Gardens._ "

"Yes. Harley's been everywhere on the island, so I'm calibrating the scanner to only show prints that have traces of chlorophyll." As Oscar donned his googles, he could already see a trail of the woman's prints

" _Ok, listen. Both of you be careful. I re-routed a Wayne-Tech satellite to show thermal scans of the island. The Gardens are showing up hot. Something bad is happening there._ "

"Alright, like we didn't have enough reason to watch out." Sage said sarcastically.

" _Yup, just another night on duty. Oh, by the way, I overheard on the radio that Dr. Young was brought to the Medical facility and hooked up to life support. She won't waking up any time soon, but her vitals are stable. Nice going there, Sage._ " The teen breathed a sigh of relief. _So how does it feel,_ Ozpin kindly asked him, _knowing you successfully saved someone's life?_

 _Pretty good. I kinda wish though that I could've completely kept her from the blast, but we take what good news we can get, right?_ Batman meanwhile glanced at the ice-encrusted cell next to Harley's before walking into another open one to collect a Riddler trophy. The bars slid shut as soon as he touched it. "Ha!" Harley cheered from her cell. "The stupid bat is caught in my trap!"

 _Yes. Yes, we do._ Neither one was particularly worried; Batman could find a way out of that cell in his sleep. Instead, the teen just returned Harley's wave and waited by the door. Its scanner didn't register him, so he just leaned against it, having a mental chat with Oz over past experiences with insane people, until a boom from above, and Quinn exclaiming, "What?! How did you get out of there?!" signaled the Dark Knight was on his way. As soon as he approached, the door scanned him, and they were running back down Controlled Access.

Another giant present greeted them with confetti and chattering teeth that the pair broke with casual ease, then the screens showed Joker again. " _Oh, Harley was just the warmup, Bats 'n' Junior! And to be fair to the little scamp, she did an okay job. Let's call it a B plus._ " He then wagged his finger disapprovingly. " _Too bad she didn't apply herself on account of wanting a certain boy as a playmate! Really, did Ozzy skimp on teaching you manners? And between you and me, Bats, I'm aiming for the A grade. Just got to mix a couple more of these chemicals and I'll be creating my own personal army!_ " With a defiant laugh, the message ended, and they raced for the exit.

The fingerprints led them back through to Cells Access, where aside from another patient lunging for them and getting subdued, a nearby radio was broadcasting, "… _we're seeing that all access to the island has been restricted. Police and state troopers are manning checkpoints._ "

" _That's correct. The island is effectively cut off from the mainland. Nothing on or off._ " "Sounds like Atlas back when General Ironwood was still fresh off the fall of Beacon." Oscar noted before letting the reporter continue. " _Early reports that Batman himself is on the island appear to be confirmed. Eyewitness reports state that he was returning the Joker to Arkham after the incident at the mayor's office. There are unconfirmed reports that Batman was killed during the Joker's daring escape, but I must stress: this is currently unconfirmed. More as it happens. Back to the studio._ "

" _Thank you, Jack. We'll bring you more as it happens. Like Jack said, we do not know for certain, but it appears Batman may have been killed in the breakout attempt._ " Sage just shook his head at that; at least he knew the truth, but that couldn't register well for listeners. " _Stay on this channel for the latest news. Now, back to the scheduled program._ "

Batman nodded in understanding at the boy's previous comment while they stopped in the woman's bathroom to take out another patient. "He wanted to maintain order and control in his home, so he took to drastic measures. And the fact he had an army under his command gave him maybe more power than was good for him. From what you and Ozpin told me, Ironwood was a good man. The problem was he didn't realize when his methods became counterproductive. It wasn't clear to me at first either where using fear as a weapon was affecting the innocent as well as criminals." He then gave Sage a meaningful look. "It took more than one scolding before the message became clear to me."

 _Oscar, may I…?_ Oscar's eyes shined as he gave Oz control. "But it seems those lessons have stuck, my friend. Look at how far you've come. When we first met, Batman was an urban legend at best and some sort of monstrous creature at worst for the average Gotham citizen. And ten years later, long after I returned to Remnant, he is a symbol of hope. Just look at the way the reporters spoke of you, the way the doctors, guards and orderlies have their spirits lifted, even when a gun is pointed at them." An inmate dropped from a ceiling panel, but Ozpin effortlessly spun him headfirst into a wall. "They have hope that Batman will step in and save them from Joker and his ilk."

"But I don't always arrive in time." Batman's expressions softened a bit. "Alfred almost died that night. Barbara is lucky to have only been crippled. And Joker would brag to you about what he did to one of my students. Jason." He punched the patient that had jumped out from the floor grate a little more forcefully than he had intended.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but that makes it all the more important that you stand up again. Alfred still lives, if I guess correctly, and Miss Gordon certainly hasn't let her current state impede her from living her life." As they approached the door to the outside, Ozpin raised his hand as high as he could and clasped Bruce's shoulder (the older man had to stoop a bit). "Batman may not always succeed, but he would only truly fail if he stopped fighting. Keep your allies close, let them support you. That's still something I need to learn for myself. And never lose your spirit for fighting for what's right."

Batman nodded with determination. "I promised them as I promise you, Oz. I never will." With a final smile, Ozpin let Oscar back in the proverbial front seat as they set foot outside. But any other encouraging words had to be put on hold on account of reeling in an inmate who was stooping over a downed guard. After dealing with him, they ran out into the courtyard as Joker made another announcement. " _Good evening, residents of Joker Asylum. Some of our… crazier guests have crashed the party early, and when I say crazy, I mean real psycho!_ "

 _Like you're one to talk,_ Sage thought while pinning down another patient in a guard post. " _Word of warning: if anyone sees a dribbling fool barking at the moon or maybe just purring like a kitten, do your civic duty. Walk up to them, put your arm around them, show them that you care before you wring their necks._ " A bout of nasty cackles. " _And then, get your lazy asses to the Gardens. I'm cooking up a little surprise and don't want to be disturbed. Understand?_ " More of them scrambled over from all sides as the pair made their way, but luckily, one good blow was enough for each one. Moving a lift up so he could get ahold of a trophy while Batman collected a map from a nearby shed, Oscar knocked out one more with a disk before they decided to follow the trail to the gate for Arkham North.

By the time they were inside, someone could be heard yelling, "I'm running out of ammo! Where are these things coming from?!" and gunshots echoed over the radio. Grappling upwards to get another trophy out of a vent for a moment, Sage swung down to head for the next door to the northern area.

"They're all over me! They're all over-" the gunfire wasn't letting up. " _Are you satisfied with your body?_ " Joker asked all of a sudden as the crime-fighters went about handling both armed thugs and deranged inmates. No sense in leaving them alone just for them to attack later. " _Do you crave the kind of powerful body only I can give you? A body literally throbbing with the power of a_ _god_ _? You do? Well, today's your lucky day! Just sign up for my Titan program and I, Joker, lord of Arkham Asylum, will deliver. Never again be embarrassed to fight an idiot vigilante or an emerald snob. No longer have trouble opening cans. And you know what's best? Each trial pack of Titan comes with a personal guarantee that will enter you into a drawing to be the first to march on Gotham. Come on, boys! First one's free._ "

By the time the broadcast had ended, they had finished up with all enemies in the vicinity. But Sage still looked worried. "Sounds like he's getting close to assembling his army."

"We need to move quick." Batman agreed while inspecting a shack. " _Signup for the Titan program has so far exceeded all expectations. Due to this unprecedented demand, I have declared it mandatory for all members of my staff to be infec- uh, upgraded with the Titan formula. Don't be afraid. I know you've heard stories of mutations and monstrous side-effects, but don't worry. Those really don't happen too often._ " "But at the least, it sounds like he hasn't perfected the doses yet. Even Joker needs reliable monstrous soldiers." By now, their path had led them to the main courtyard, leaving a trial of unconscious bodies behind.

The teen tossed a disk at a patient that had somehow climbed onto the head of the warden's giant statue, causing him to fall into the grass. "So which way to the Gardens?" Batman pointed to another building and ran ahead, Sage two steps behind him. As they got closer, he realized the building was partially built like one big greenhouse; his aunt had a much smaller version for certain herbs that needed special care. As soon as they stepped through the door, large leaves and trees of varying appearances surrounded them, ambient music playing in the background. Batman strode purposefully through the halls, taking in every detail, while Oscar followed him cautiously. Having a second pair of senses (sort-of) helped, as Ozpin kept track of anything he might overlook. They walked by a bench where two dead guards were laid in curious positions, and a scan with Detective Mode showed the prints leading to a gate where two goons with guns were stationed. "What the hell was that thing?"

"No idea. Joker's cookin' something up, man." They crouched out of sight.

"Yeah, and it don't smell good."

"Thinks he's God or something. Messin' with peoples' bodies. He tries that stuff on me, and I quit." _Too bad Joker isn't one to accept resignations,_ Ozpin thought, which Oscar agreed to.

"Me too. This place is creepy enough without those monsters running loose." Two batarangs flew around the corner and collided with their faces, and before they knew what happened, their backs collided with the active security gate, shocking the goons into unconsciousness. Sage climbed down and used his sequencer on the nearby control box, fiddling until it short-circuited, and the gate powered down. With that, they entered the glasshouse room.

But moving on wasn't going to be a cakewalk; six thugs were patrolling the room, and as Detective Mode showed, they all carried rifles and suicide collars. A quick glance to each other, and the pair grappled to separate gargoyles. As Batman dived to bring down one walking on the stairs, Sage hurled a disc at another that was climbing up the ladder. Both were out in seconds, and that was just the start of tonight's fun. For his next trick, Oscar fired his grapple and swung low, kicking one that had just stepped out of sight from the others. He then landed silently and crept over to slam the thug's face against the ground, keeping him down. There was one other nearby, so the teen kept his back to the railing and drew the Long Memory, waiting as that goon ran over at the sound of his buddy's collar. He didn't see where he was going and therefore stumbled over the dark shaft, leaving him open for a swift kick to the face. Rising, Sage saw Batman drop the last one with a line around his ankle from a gargoyle and then glide over. " _Really?_ " Joker grumbled over the intercom. " _They beat you all. Again. What does it take? An army of monsters?_ " Ignoring his laughter, they checked around the room to round up more Riddler trophies, and Oscar caught a glimpse of a little tea set that reminded Ozpin of another nutjob calling himself the Mad Hatter.

But when they opened the door, what they saw wasn't what they expected: Joker himself standing on the other side of a small indoor lake, his back turned to them. Batman rallied quickly. "You need to stop this, now," he ordered, "before it goes too far!"

"Stop?" Joker turned to show he was holding a guard by the neck. "But everyone's dying to see what I do next!"

Sage yelled, "Let him go! Now!"

"Really? Well, I appreciate that fire there, Greenlee! Sounds a lot angrier than Ozzy senior." He then kicked a metal box into the water. "Okay, if you say so, kiddo." The entire pool lit up with electricity. The guard called for help before being shoved into it, his screams bouncing across the room. "Whoopsie!"

"No!" Sage called out, but it was too late. He looked away from the jittering body, then glared at the criminal.

Joker was already walking down the hall behind him, sadistic glee obvious in his posture and laughter. "You boys really need to speed things up." He then drew a detonator and activated it, blowing apart the walls of the hallway. "At this rate, you'll never catch me." Even with the rubble blocking the way, they could hear him laughing.

Oscar knelt by the water, staring at the body. Just when Batman made to say something, he shook his head and stood up. _No time for regrets now._ He told himself. "How do we get across? I don't trust myself to shield us all the way through."

"Then we need to shut down power to this room." Batman gestured to his cowl, prompting Sage to put on his googles. Cables could be seen running along the room's floor back to the greenhouse. "We follow the cables, we'll find the power room." So they began to track their way per the cables down to a corridor filled with statues. Different flowers surrounded them as they ran around the displays. Batman stopped though for a brief second when his eye caught a bench before moving on again.

Curious despite the situation, Oscar took a closer look and noticed a small plaque at the top. "IN MEMORY OF THOMAS WAYNE AND MARTHA WAYNE GOTHAM'S TRUE PATRONS" After a moment, he understood. _Yes,_ Ozpin confirmed while he followed the Dark Knight's path, _they were Bruce's parents. Victims of a random mugging in Crime Alley. Bruce was the only one spared that night, and he swore to make his life, their deaths, count for something. But not vengeance, justice. I suppose we would all strive to do something like that._

Sage nodded subtly in agreement while watching the caped man head for a nearby door. He could see the memory of his predecessor's first meeting, of how Bruce had an even harder time of restraining his anger and pain. Now, he was calmer, his temper as cold as ice, but the wound was still fresh, even after all these years. To go out every night and fight for a city that seemed to throw so many problems at him, to have to deal with so much grief, but to grit his teeth and still stand up against monsters like the Joker… _Oz, it's taken a while, but I think I get now why you think so highly of him._ The inner chuckling made him smile for a second before he prepared for what's next.

Inside the generator room, namely, a group of thugs was giving a tied-up janitor grief. "Stop, please. I'm not important! I can't help you."

"You're lucky the boss don't want you hurt too bad. Said something about you being the perfect bait. Don't get it, you're nothing special. Who's gonna save you?"

"Yeah, and just in case someone does decide to try, we're ready and waiting." Another boasted, backhanding the hostage.

Credit where credit was due, the man remained defiant. "But Batman will stop you. You know he will."

"The Bat. I'm not scared of the Bat. You see Hego over there?" He pointed at one guy in a prison jumpsuit chatting with a bare-chested thug. "He has a thing for blades." He really shouldn't have pointed that out, though, because Hego suddenly got a black grapple attached to him and was pulled over to Batman, who floored him with an overhand smash.

The rest tried to circle him, but something green darted between them and spun in place with an ebony stick, battering four of them at once. One rallied quicker than the others and brought his pipe down, but Sage deflected it and thrust his cane into his stomach, making him double over. Another two had their heads cracked against each other by Batman, who then fended off a stun baton's strikes while the teen redirected a fourth's charge into a nearby machine. "Kick their asses!" the janitor cheered. The fight ended with Oscar knocking his last opponent into the air with an upwards swing and Batman jolting the only other thug with his own weapon. With all that said and done, Sage moved to free the worker while Batman inspected the room.

A flick of the fallen knife, and Carl Todd was rubbing his free wrists. "Are you okay?" Oscar asked.

"I am now, thanks. What about you guys?"

"I'm fine, and Batman probably eats punks like these for breakfast." After both laughed at that, the young mage continued. "I'm Sage and I work with him. What were these guys doing in here?"

"The ones that weren't hitting me went over there and started doing something to the power controls. I have no idea what they were doing. I thought the Gardens would be the last place escaped goons would be interested in. So much for logic in this place." Batman called his partner, but before he went, Todd said, "Thanks for the save, both of you."

Sage smiled, "Not a problem," and joined Batman at the controls. A glance at it showed two green and purple spraycans affixed to it. "Looks like Joker booby-trapped the control box. Joker Toxin?"

The detective nodded. "Probably. This is going to be tougher than before, but it's a risk we'll need to take." He then drew his sequencer and began. Oscar noticed the difference; blue bars on the panel slowly shut down, but every time the right frequency was found, a light glowed green. Once the third one activated, the box sparked, but the Toxin wasn't released. A monitor over the controls showed the room that led to Joker powering down. Rising, Batman noted, "Looks like it worked. Let's head on back." He then turned to Todd who was still in his chair. "When you're feeling better, sneak over to Medical. You'll be safe there." As he waved in thanks, the two sped out to the statue corridor.

" _Well, aren't you a pair of persistent peas. Always one step ahead._ " Joker growled. " _It won't be long before I have an army of Titan monster at my fingertips. Oooh, just imagine, me being carried through the streets, stepping over the corpses of all those innocent citizens. It's going to be glorious! I can't wait._ " Laughter rang through the intercoms as they reached the room and waded through the now harmless water to the other side. Picking through the rubble would take forever, but as he crushed some teeth underneath his heel, Batman turned to the nearby vent. A quick tug and it was open for them to climb through. Nothing really special, aside from one grate underneath them that had rubber gloves, a pair of googles and a brown book; didn't seem important. Then a detour for a Riddler trophy, and they were back out inside a smaller series of catacombs. Batman blew up a wall that led to a chamber that appeared abandoned, but some sort of humming could be heard from somewhere. Jumping to the next platform, Oscar then listened as closely as he could, but it wasn't easy with the slippery surfaces. " _A drop of that._ " The voice made all three of them start; definitely Joker. As Batman navigated the safest way to both collect any trophies, get rid of those stupid teeth and not stray too far from the way they needed to go, they all strained to hear what the madman was doing. " _A little bit of red, a touch of green… A little shake- whoops!_ " They crawled through a narrow tunnel. _Sounds like he's trying to find the correct dosage,_ Ozpin theorized. A thought both his successor and his friend shared. More humming, then " _A touch of this. A drop of that._ " Then just as they were shimmying along a cracked wall, " _Another failure. Oh well, get him out of here and send in another one._ "

Just as the pair climbed onto the ledge, something very misshapen splashed down next to them. "Another mutation," Batman observed. "If Joker's making these monsters, he hasn't perfected the formula yet. We need to hurry." The heroes doubled their pace in climbing the walls, Oscar all the while listening to Joker's antics as best as he could. " _well, hello, sit yourself down. I won't be a moment._ " Batman cut a rope holding a rail that bridged the gap to the next platform.

 _This is all reminding me a bit too much of Merlot's experiments._ Ozpin mused as they heard the chat between Joker and the poor flunky he was about to mutate. _Dr. Merlot was a scientist who believed the Grimm were the next step to evolution, and that he could control them._

 _Right,_ Oscar recalled as he climbed up a wall, _Ruby and Weiss told me a bit about that. They investigated suspicious activity on an island just off Samus' coast. It turns out they found a whole laboratory making mutant Grimm. Didn't you send them there?_

_Yes, I did. Merlot had allegedly passed away during the Mountain Glenn tragedy, but I had a hunch he had survived. You know, even though Team RWBY destroyed his laboratory and his… creations, his body was never recovered. Something we may have to look into upon our return- oh, careful, those rocks look slippery and unstable._

_Right, thanks._ Sage barely kept himself from stumbling as he landed onto the spot. He could hear the goon screaming in pain from whatever that madman had pumped into him. _Say, Oz… when you first came to Gotham, and you decided to help Batman… did you consider wanting to stay? Don't get me wrong, I know we can't control this weird teleport thing, but if you had had the choice back then, would you have avoided going back to Remnant?_

 _I…_ a sigh, then, _I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have considered it. On Remnant, I fought at best a stalemate, at worst, a losing battle against Salem. Every decision I made, every Huntsman or Huntress I brought into the fold, I had to carefully consider the consequences that may come. Even though our love ended millennia ago, both my actions and Salem's are strongly influenced by each other. And you've seen during our last… episode with Scarecrow how many I've cared for and lost throughout this time. But here, in Gotham, it was a clean slate; no Grimm, no Huntsmen or Huntresses, no Salem, no Brother Gods (I think), but a city, and a protector, that needed help. The idea of becoming Batman- Bruce's mentor and partner, of simply watching over one place and having a, well, more tangible chance of making a difference is an enticing prospect, I won't deny that._

 _Especially now, seeing as Salem's on Atlas' doorstep and the others probably don't want to listen to you anymore?_ This time, there wasn't any bitterness in Oscar's tone, just sadness. _I wouldn't blame you if you tried hijacking me and going on the run._

_But I won't do that, I swear on all the people I loved. Batman would never let that happen to you, despite our friendship, and I could never live with myself for forcing you into something that cowardly. Remnant is my responsibility, and I can't run from it. But… if_ _you_ _would rather stay, Oscar, then I understand. You make a very fine crimefighter._

_Thanks, but…_ his thoughts paused as they reached the door that would lead them out. _But I can't leave the others behind to get slaughtered by Salem. A hero wouldn't do that. So I guess our return ticket's booked. Now, time to beat up a crazy clown and help a bat-dressed vigilante save his city. Boy, I'm glad I didn't actually say that out loud._

 _That would've sounded absurd._ "I don't know what you've discussing with Ozpin," Batman cut into their 'chat' with a look, "but it's better you focus now." Sage rubbed his arm embarrassed and nodded, prompting the older man to swing open the door. After a couple more ledges and one small vent, they climbed into another part of the Gardens to take out a pair of thugs beating on a defenseless worker. With them out of the way, the worker slowly picked himself up with Oscar's help. "Are you okay?" Batman asked, on the lookout for more enemies.

"Do I look okay? They were gonna kill me! We were in the aviary hiding out, and they came in with Joker, shooting up the place, and loading us into cages."

"Are they still in there?"

"No man, no one's come out since. You got to help them!"

"Stay here." Batman and Sage headed for the aviary door that was right behind a statue of a woman missing its head. As soon as they set foot into the room, it became clear that the use of the word, 'cages,' had been literal.

"Help me! Someone get me out of this thing!" A guy called from one of the giant birdcages in the center of the aviary. Joker cackled over the intercom. " _Listen, the Bat is on the way with his emerald stooge. If you see either one, send the annoying doctors to hell. That's the down one, right?_ " _Why announce his plan on the intercom and not on his goons' radios?_

 _If I were to guess, to taunt us and let us know he knows we're in the room._ A thug strutted to the glass of the observation deck. "Yeah! They're going down!"

" _And remember, if you hear a collar go off, Batman's here._ " Said Batman had already decided on a plan. "Joker's men are all wearing the security collars. We'll need to take the operator first."

"Then I'll go," Sage offered. "I'm shorter than you, and I've gotten used to being sneaky tonight." After a brief hesitation, Batman consented with a nod and quietly opened a nearby vent. The boy crept in and followed the path, grateful he didn't weigh enough to make much noise. He grappled up one ledge, climbed the ladder and dropped with support of his grapple to just behind a thug walking near the observation. Blake and Ren had taught him a few tricks about being stealthy, and with Oz adding in his own experience on the matter, following him to the ladder was a cinch. Just as he turned back, Sage darted to the ladder, climbed up, and crept to the operator to pull him into the quietest chokehold he could manage. Settling him onto the ground, Ozpin warned him, _you incapacitated the main threat, but don't forget the others. Or that you have a partner._ Nodding, Oscar tapped his comm twice, that being the signal that it had worked, then climbed back down. " _So you Dudley Do Rites figured out my puzzle, huh?_ " Joker sneered. " _Well, good for you. Did you remember about my alarms?_ " He sprayed some Explosive Gel, then waited as the collar's noise brought the one he'd slipped past running. A press of the detonator, and he was down for the count. " _They're here, you idiots. Stop them from getting to me!_ " A glance with Detective Mode told him that a third was already dealt with and that Batman was stalking the last.

Sighing in satisfaction, the teen hero climbed back up and with Oz' guidance worked the controls to gently set both cages onto the ground. " _Good work,_ " Batman called him. " _Joker wanted the entrance to the Titan production plant guarded. Meet me by the hostages so we can pick up Harley's trail again._ "

"Will do." Oscar left the deck and grappled down to the cages. A doctor was already in conversation. "I'm sorry. I thought I was working for Doctor Young. I had no idea Joker was involved until he burst into the lab."

"Where is the lab?"

"Back over there, I always get buzzed through. There's a hidden door, but, well you know, it's hidden."

"We'll find it. Stay here." Their Detective Modes still had Harley's prints on record, and they led to a panel right next to the top of the ladder in the observation deck. Ripping it off, they found another booby-trapped control. Batman turned to Sage. "Care to do the honors?"

"Eh, why not?" Oscar activated his sequencer. Admittedly, the possibility of getting a faceful of Joker Toxin was unnerving, so he let Oz take his place. The millennia-old wizard kept a cool head and deftly achieved all three levels, causing the control to make a slab of rock slide out of the way next to them. Storing away his device, Ozpin nodded to Batman; Oscar was letting him have a chance to stretch his legs a bit more, and their friend offered on complaints. Together, they walked through the now revealed gate.

Inside, the pair stepped onto the platform over a ravine and to where the Joker was standing, alongside two guards, giant gift boxes inside a bulk elevator, and liquid tanks. The villain heard them coming and faced them. "Well, look who's discovered our secret lab." The platform behind them folded up and a gate slid down, leaving no place to retreat. Not that the mooks would be any problem. "Since you've made it this far, let me show you what I've cooked up." Joker said, brandishing what looked like a toy gun. He aimed it at Sage for a second, Batman stepping between them, then at the last moment, shot a dart into the guy right to him. Then as the other one turned to look in shock, he got another dart stuck in his chest.

The effects were immediate; both goons curled up and started groaning as their veins pulsed green. Lumps of muscle bulged while their spines enlarged, parting the flesh around them. Eyes shining green, the thugs were now twice as big and a lot more animalistic. _Okay, I'm kinda that I'm leaving this to you, Oz,_ Oscar noted inside his head. _Just do me a favor and don't get me body too beaten up, alright?_

 _I'll see what I can do._ Ozpin promised twirling his cane. Joker retreated inside the cargo elevator with those giant presents and a passing laugh, leaving the brutes alone with the heroes. The light-skinned one charged first, but a batarang made it lose sight and crash into the wall. Batman then went to work beating on it while Sage intercepted the other's attack with a somersault over it and a cane strike to the back of its head. As that one staggered into one of the tanks, the wizard battered it with more strikes. _These mutations may not need a storage tank like Bane,_ Ozpin noted while sidestepping its swings, _but they aren't nearly as strong as him. Or as smart._ With this in mind, he skipped a few more steps back and waited. The brute barreled full speed at him, but he stunned it with a disc and then rolled out of the way. It then smashed headfirst into one of the Titan containers, causing them to blow each other up in a chain reaction. And the heavyweight didn't get away unscathed, either, from the explosions. Batman meanwhile had his own idea; while his was stunned, he climbed onto its back and steered it into first smashing any nearby equipment, then attacking its wounded compatriot. By the time it had regained its senses, the dark-skinned brute had fallen.

Oscar's eyes flashed as he came back to the driver's seat. Batman looked at him prompting him to explain, "Oz figured we wouldn't need him for the last part." A similar grin spread across their faces as the light-skinned one growled and hurled a limp body at them. Dodging it, they then goaded it into charging and fired grapples at its legs, forcing it to trip and fall. Then together, the pair battered it with simultaneous attacks until Batman kicked its face up, flipped, and brought his fists down in a two-handed smash. Neither beast would be getting up after all that.

After catching his breath, Batman gave his partner an approving nod. "Smart thinking with the tanks, and with these two stomping around, the equipment won't be of any use anymore." He then activated their comms. "Oracle, we've destroyed the Titan production facility, but Joker escaped with enough to cause us real problems."

" _Just when you think it can't get any worse._ " "I know, right, we should've learned by now not to think stuff like that." Oscar grumbled.

"We're not out of tricks yet," Batman calmly told them. "They've been using a Venom-plant hybrid to create the Titan strain. The plant's the key, and there's only one person on Arkham Island who can help us." Oscar's mind flashed back to a certain green-skinned redhead.

" _And what makes you think Poison Ivy will help you?_ "

"If her plants are at risk, she'll listen. I've a sample of her signature pheromones on record." He typed something into his gauntlet, then Sage's goggles pinged as they received the info. "She'll be somewhere in the Gardens. We'll track her down."

With Oracle signing off, Oscar then walked to the gate to hack its controls. "But how do we get out of this chamber? I can't find any controls to bring up the walkway." The control box sparked, and the gate retracted itself into the ceiling. "I'll never get used to that…" he muttered, glaring at the broken box.

"I'm calling in just the tool for that." Batman pressed something into his gauntlet, and after a second or two, a rumbling could be heard. Oscar looked up in shock through the glass ceiling to see a sleek black plane flying overhead. It hovered for a moment, then flew through the glass, shards raining down. _Either he's upgraded the Batwing,_ Ozpin theorized, _or replaced it with a new model._ It then ejected a small shell onto the ground before flying off again.

Sage, still in awe at the sight while Batman walked to the self-opening shell, mumbled, "For a second, I thought you wanted us to fly in it…" Truth be told, he had almost looked forward to it.

"That would be overkill," Batman replied while retrieving the device. Noting the boy's interest in it, Batman explained, "The Line Launcher, something I was still trying to put together eight years ago. An assassin called Deathstroke had a useful tool that had just the components I needed to perfect it." As he took a few steps back, he added, "I hear Slade is still waiting for Ozpin to show again. Settle the score." _Heh, he was very skilled. Not sure I would've be able to defeat him without Aura, but that's a story for another time._

 _Gotcha._ The detective raised the launcher and triggered it; two cables shot out from opposite sides and attached themselves to the wall behind them and the door. "I don't have a second model on me, but there ought to be a zipline in your belt. Hang on." Sage searched through his pockets until finding the zipline, then clipped it with a light jump onto the back cable. With a push of their respective buttons, they traveled along the length of the line until reaching the door. Oscar unhooked himself, then watched as the lines retracted into the launcher. He saw a trophy in the other part of the wall and shimmied along it to collect. (" _Oh, you are definitely cheating._ ") "Now we can go find Ivy." Batman affirmed as the door opened and they ran out into the aviary.

The people they had saved form the cages all lay on the floor. Sage didn't need to scan to know. "They're all dead, aren't they?"

"Joker was busy while we fought his monsters." Batman agreed with a glare. "He'll pay for this." Now more motivated than ever, they began their search for Poison Ivy. A display from their Detective Modes showed the rising percentage of her pheromones as they ran through the flooded corridor. The trail led to a ravine that would've stopped them before. But with the Line Launcher, crossing it was child's play. As Batman nabbed a nearby trophy, Sage vented some of the frustration over the dead workers by busting a couple of chattering teeth. With that, he calmed back down and followed Batman to the door at the end of the hall.

Poison Ivy was waiting inside, gently stroking a larger vine as she reclined on a fountain. "It's all right, my darlings. My poor darlings…" Leaves shifted around the way out as she tilted her head. "Yes, I know he's found us. And the young one. Not sure about him, seems a kind one. But I won't let them hurt you." She turned to them with a dangerous look as the vine slipped away. "I'll kill them first."

Sage carefully stepped forward, hands raised. "Maybe we can avoid hurting or killing… anyone. We're just here to ask for help." The woman just cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, and, uh, sorry for not checking on the plants. We've spent a lot of time indoors."

"Tsk, at least you have the decency to apologize," Ivy settled on her perch. "But don't think that alone will save you."

Batman joined Oscar's side. "Ivy, I know Dr. Young mutated these plants to produce Venom." The same vine from before slowly snaked behind them.

"Yes. I heard it through the grapevine the evil woman would've paid the price," she looked at the farmhand, "if it hadn't been for you." Her lips curled in distaste.

"I need you to help me create an antidote." The vine was now at Batman's height.

"Why should I? Let Joker have his fun. I'll enjoy watching you both squirm."

"But weren't you human once?" Oscar offered, catching her attention. "I heard that you were turned into this. So you must've once cared for humanity."

Poison Ivy merely laughed at that. "And look where that got me. These days, I find that plants are much more deserving of life than humans." The vine lashed out at Sage suddenly, but an iron grip caught it and squeezed, making plant fluid squirt from it. Ivy groaned and clenched her forearm in pain.

"You've been in the dark for too long." Batman growled, but stopped as his partner held up his hand. After exchanging looks, he released the vine, letting it slink away.

Sage then looked back at the woman. "I get that you don't trust or like us," he started, "but think about it. We don't go out of our way to harm or tamper with your… children. And if you're as connected to them as I think, you know I'm right. Joker, on the other hand, he started this whole project with mixing Venom and plants together. And what's to stop him from burning down every last blade of grass on this island just for kicks? You know how unpredictable he is, don't you?" Ivy got up from the ground, frowning in thought. "We won't harm your plants without them attacking us first. And if you help us, you can get back at Joker for his part in what Dr. Young did. Think about it."

After a pensive pause, Ivy looked him up and down. "You swear that neither you nor Batman will harm my babies?"

"We'll just defend ourselves." Oscar rubbed his head. "I worked on a farm, I know how tough plants can be."

She cracked a smile at that. "Smart boy." She then sobered while turning to the Caped Crusader. "There's a plant, growing deep in Arkham Island. Only it can counter the effects of this Titan strain."

"Where do we find it?"

"Oh, in Killer Croc's lair." The young wizard sagged at the answer. Ivy giggled while watching him. "You didn't think it would be easy, did you?"

"Would it be too much to ask for a little easiness? Just once?" Oscar grumbled.

"What do you think?"/ _What do you think?_ /"What do you think?" A chorus replied. Batman then turned to the exit, Sage sullenly following. But he warned, "Go back to your cell. Or we'll be after you next."

"And I'll be waiting. And watching." Ivy replied as the plants drew around her. The leaves blocking them rustled out of their way.

As they stepped out of her listening range, Batman asked Sage, "That was all you, just now, wasn't it?" Oscar nodded shyly. "Smart move going at her diplomatically, but don't trust Ivy too much. If she has to choose between saving a human's life or a plant, she'd always opt for the plant." _But you're developing a talent for diplomacy, Oscar. Those were clever arguments back there, matching her concerns._ The boy blushed at the double-praise, but refocused; now they had to deal with another of Oz' old buddies. Batman tapped his cowl. "Oracle, we need to find a way into Killer Croc's lair. It's somewhere below Arkham Island."

" _There's nothing on the system about where he's kept._ "

"Remember that door we found near the Batcave?" Sage offered.

"But that one was shut tight. Tight enough that he couldn't break through. There's got to be another way in. We left Guard Cash in the Mansion. We'll see if he can shed some more light on where Croc's kept." Any further chance at strategizing was put on hold when they saw the welcome party on the other side of the ravine. Two of Joker's goons were standing at the precipice taunting them, while more were clustered behind them. "Go back and play with that bitch for a few more hours, the boss isn't ready for you two yet."

Watching one smack his ass at them, Oscar impassively asked. "What's at the bottom?"

"An underground stream." Batman replied in the same tone. "The height difference isn't big enough to be fatal." With mutual nods, they drew their grapnel guns and fired, pulling both goons over the edge. Two splashes could be heard below, and as the rest took notice, Batman replaced his grapnel with the Line Launcher and shot a line. Traveling along it allowed him to bowl the thugs over, and as they dropped to the ground, they managed to take one out each.

The rest scrambled to their feet and tried surrounding them, but it wasn't a contest. Batman and Sage darted from thug to thug, beating them down with little effort. The last one caught a lucky break in grabbing Oscar's cane, but he simply fell on his back, pulling the dirtbag with him, and planted his legs against his stomach, launching him screaming into the ravine. After that, they retraced their steps through the abandoned catacomb, disabling a lunatic that tried jumping Batman in the process, then into the corridor, and finally at the room partially flooded. Two goons were standing smugly on the other side as the water crackled. "Hey, screw you, Bat! We turned on the power. You're trapped over there." They then ate their words when the two ziplined over and knocked them out.

Breaking some more teeth, the way into the glasshouse was filled with more thugs standing watch. "Message from Joker," one reported, "Batman and his sidekick are on their way. Reward for whoever bags them!" One standing in front of them was quickly put to sleep.

"When are we getting our upgrades, man? Joker said we'd be more powerful than the Bat!"

Splitting up, they systematically shut down each one and darted out of sight as the collars activated. Even with Joker's increasingly frustrated warnings, no one could keep up with them. Right after the last one got a cane jab to the nose and collapsed, they reunited at the door and walked out towards the entrance. That's when a new voice rang over the intercom. " _How dare you come here?!_ " Ivy screeched. " _I won't let anyone hurt my babies again._ "

 _She's confronting Joker,_ Ozpin realized as said lunatic spoke up again. " _I can't believe you bad boys left poor little Ivy crying in her garden. She looked so sad._ " Then the whole building shook while a giant root tore through the walls in front of the exit.

"Oh, no…" Oscar gasped as his and Batman's eyes widened at the green pulsing of the plant. " _I gave her a little Titan. Oho, gotta say, the results are a little different. Shall I give her another? I think she wants it!_ " "This is the dumbest idea he could've had!" the boy yelled as they tried crawling under the roots. A yelp from Ivy preceded the building shaking even stronger as more vines and roots rose up all over the place. " _They don't call you Ivy for nothing, do they, dear? I was hoping for a 40-foot killer plant, but you don't always get what you want, do ya?_ " Ivy's only answer was a dark chuckle that rose in power as what felt like the entire island shook from the plants.

* * *


	12. Chapter 11: Who We Become

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even as Ivy's newfound power is laying waste to the island, our heroes still have to deal with Scarecrow's concoctions one last time.

"Not exactly how I remember it," Sage mumbled as they stepped outside. Giant vines burst from the grounds, reaching for the clouds and pulsing green. They were all over the place; some buildings had them growing through, and the process had only temporarily stopped.

"Titan must be having a different effect on Ivy," Batman theorized, examining a mutant tree that had cracked through the stairway. "Her plants are growing; they'll soon be out of control." Noting the worry on his partner's face, he said, "But we're still going after Croc now."

"To get the plant we need for an antidote, right? It wouldn't do much good to fight Ivy now if we can't cure her."

"Precisely." The pair's attention turned to what looked like an oversized plant pod nearby. A patient moved muttering closer to it, and as then as its throbbing increased, it opened and released three large orbs, one of which slammed into the lunatic. "Looks like the plants are mutating further. That pod appears to contain similar spores to the ones Ivy used to attack Gotham last year. They're deadly." As the remaining two spores shot off into other directions, Batman slowly crept down the stairs to the pod, then pierced it with his fist, splattering Titan-laced chlorophyll everywhere. He turned to Sage following him. "Make sure to pop open any pods like this in our way. We don't need any more complications than there are already."

Oscar nodded and then suddenly jabbed with the Long Memory, hitting another psycho crawling through the bushes. "And watch out for inmates, too," he replied as they moved to another couple pods in front of Arkham Mansion. He drove his cane into the nearest pod while Batman punched a second, thinking about how Ivy would probably give them grief the next time they saw her. Then again, he did say they'd defend themselves. And there were more pressing matters at the moment.

Another tree was blocking the entrance, so they had to grapple up into the vent to get inside. And things didn't look any better on the inside; roots practically glowing with Titan twisted and snaked through most of the rooms. Luckily, they had the Line Launcher which made travelling from place to place simpler. _Just out of curiosity, Oz,_ Sage mused as they crawled under some vines to the main hall, _do you know of anyone with a plant Semblance or some kind of botanical magic?_

_I did encounter some of the former a couple of times; plant-based Semblances aren't the most common type, but every generation has at least one or two. Look at Elm Ederne and Vine Zeki. Their abilities function similar to certain plants. Why, in one life, I myself was capable of accelerating the growth of tree seeds by simply channeling my Aura into them. As for magic, used properly, many things are possible. But no one on Remnant has ever been capable of something of this magnitude. At least, on their own._

_Makes me glad that Titan doesn't exist on our world._ Aside from what Salem would probably do if she had ever gotten her hands on that stuff (both inhabitants of Oscar's body shuddered at the idea of Titan-enhanced Grimm), Ironwood or other leaders could've ordered that Huntsmen inject themselves with it, just for a winning edge. Luckily, Sage couldn't ruminate too much on such thoughts on account of them dropping down into the main hall and running straight for where they'd last seen Cash. The guard was still there, rifle at the ready and eyeing the trees with caution, but he brightened and called the heroes over. "I figured you two'd be here about now. What's the deal with the plants?"

"It's complicated." Batman simply stated.

"Let me guess: Poison Ivy. She teamed up with Joker."

"Close, but more like Joker used her as a guinea pig." Sage explained before the detective took over.

"All that matters is that we can stop the plants taking over the island, but…"

"There's always a 'but,' isn't there?" Oscar just shrugged in agreement.

"Where do you keep Killer Croc? We found a door in the sewers, but it's sealed shut."

Cash's scowl intensified upon hearing that name. "That monster's got his own special cell. It's right below the transfer room back in Intensive Treatment. Elevator goes right down to an old sewer. We just drop meat down there every day or so and try to forget about him. It's locked off, more security than the Joker. You won't get in without the Warden's permission. He has the codes."

"Thanks, Cash." Batman said as he was already turning around. "Stay here and do not go near the plants. They'll kill you." Ignoring the claims of a seated orderly that they were all going to die, the pair climbed their way back up to the upper levels. From there, they retraced their steps out of the hall back to the entrance and outside the mansion. Practically a cakewalk, now that the trees were staying still for a bit. Batman floated down with Sage hanging onto his back towards the courtyard where they knocked out two more lunatics, popped a pod to the left, then sprinted for the gate labelled Intensive Treatment. It opened immediately, showing a group of Joker's goons who had put on raincoats and were crouching over an unmoving patient. If they had paid a bit more attention to who was behind them, maybe they could've put up a better fight.

First a collection of batarangs and disks to knock down the closest, then Batman and Sage waded into the others. The green-clad budding wizard whirled his cane in a set of practiced motions, battering limbs and torsos, while his caped friend used his bigger size to beat down his enemies. One thug tried swinging his pipe straight at Batman's head, but the Long Memory intercepted it and twisted it out of his grip. Sage then spun the makeshift around on his weapon before launching it at a pair of nearby goons, knocking them out. Batman then picked up the poor fool that had tried attacking him and hurled him right into another, then pounced on both and punched their lights out. A few more maneuvers like that, and the two were finished. "If nothing else, I'm getting a good workout beating these guys up," Oscar thought out loud as he collapsed his cane.

"It helps to keep in shape," Batman agreed as he led the way to the Intensive Treatment building. As they came to Arkham North, Oracle reported, " _Batman, Sage, every route into Intensive Treatment is locked and there's nothing I can do to bypass the security._ " But the Dark Knight calmly kept his gaze forward on the building.

"There was a sniper up on the roof. He got there somehow. We'll find a way." Oscar donned his googles and zoomed in; sure enough, a thug in a raincoat with rifle and night-vision googles was keeping watch. But the roof was adorned with spikes, and even the less experienced Sage knew that meant they couldn't use their grapnels in a straightforward manner. So they first snuck down into the yard to get rid of any pods and escapees, then Batman drew an unusual type of batarang, pressed the center, then hurled it upwards. It spun in place for a bit, then sped straight for the goon who was aiming the rifle downwards and never saw it coming. _Remote control,_ Oz explained to an impressed Sage as they grappled up to the nearest watchtower, then fired the Line Launcher, reeling themselves over to the roof. Just as the goon was getting up, the teen gave him a swift kick to finish the job. Shattering a couple of teeth chattering up there, Batman strode into the open way and made for the door at the end.

It brought them to a room likely meant for maintenance, doors and dividers all over. As he separated from Batman to retrieve a trophy close by, another tremor went through the building. " _I'm picking up seismic activity all over Arkham Island._ " Oracle called them. " _You guys okay?_ "

"Well, we're not dead yet." Oscar assured her.

Batman spoke up. "Ivy's plants are taking hold. We've got to stop them before the entire island is under her control." As they travelled from one vent to another, the building rumbled again, likely due to some crazy plant outside. But they had to stay focused, because just as Sage was crawling in the lead before a grate, he could see a goon on a ladder in the lobby, planting something onto a gargoyle. " _Are they ready? Have you planted the explosives yet?_ " Joker inquired per speakers.

"Done!" One guy on a catwalk announced. Another next to him spoke into his radio, "Razor's just finishing his off now."

" _Good! Let's test them out!_ " The bomb immediately started beeping, despite Razor's desperate protests. It then exploded violently, sending him flying with a scream before he landed on the floor dead. " _Oops._ " Oscar's stomach turned at the sight, even though he should've been used to this kind of cruelty by now. _It's not wrong to feel compassion for your enemies, Oscar._ Ozpin's tone was kind, encouraging, and the boy was able to focus again. He deftly pushed the grate loose, letting it hang by a single bolt.

"Why are we beefing up security here again?" one thug asked, unaware of the pair dropping to the nearby floor. Scans at the other gargoyles revealed more explosives, so that ruled them out, and security gates were activated in front of the doors leading out.

"Joker wants this building kept free of the Bat and his sidekick. We've sealed off the door. No way in or out." Batman subdued a nearby patrol while Sage crept on to another coming up a ladder. Just as he was high enough, that one got yanked into a corner and his oxygen cut off. _No way in or out?_ The boy thought, moving on. _Tough luck for you boys._

"No way they're stupid enough to come back here. If they do, Joker's bombs will finish them." The Dark Knight hurled a different kind of batarang at the bottom floor; this one sent out a noise that attracted a thug that was close to it, then burst with a piercing sound wave, disabling him. Sage in turn fired his grapnel at a second one just outside the booth, pulling him over the railing. " _You may want to go west and check out the walkway. And while you're there, keep going._ " Panicked, the remaining goons spread out in every direction as the collars rang with electronic laughter from everywhere. Sage ducked into a nearby vent and grabbed at the one passing him, tripping the man over into unconsciousness. He slipped back out and tossed a disc at another who was hurdling over the railing to the right, stunning him enough to fall to the ground. Batman performed a flying kick on the last one before regrouping with Oscar. "Now for the way out." They then stepped into the office where a booby-trapped control box awaited. The Caped Crusader activated his cryptographic sequencer and cracked its systems in a matter of seconds, shutting off the electric gates.

Climbing down and walking to the doors, Batman and Sage were back in the Cell Block Transfer. Oscar opened the gate with his own sequencer to a nearby office, which turned out to be Cash's, to solve a stupid riddle about hooks, then they walked down the hall. But for some reason, his nerves felt tense, like something wasn't quite right. He coughed a bit into his hand just as the standard intercom said something about aga- )*&$*(&$!

* * *

The world is in chaos. Grimm surged from all over, attacking anything that moved. Beowolves, Ursae, Sabyrs, Creeps, and Deathstalkers tore through the streets while Nevermores, Teryx, Gryphons and Manticores flew overhead, swooping down every now and then to pluck someone from the ground. In the distance, Goliaths, Manticores, Beringels, all the heavier Grimm tore down bigger structures while their smaller counterparts fell upon the rest. A cacophony of screams and cries vibrated across the shattered, broken lands bereft of plant life. The sky turned crimson, as though to reflect all the blood, human, Faunus or otherwise, that had been spilt. And then through the dark clouds came the entire city of Atlas crashing down, the entire land shaking upon its impact. He had no idea how a land mass that big, even with the Staff of Creation, could've been moved this far from Solitas, but whatever people may have by some crazy miracle survived the crash would now be eviscerated by the dark creatures swarming it. Over it all shined the broken moon of Remnant as it too slowly turned red. Some Grimm howled at it in apparent triumph.

Oscar watched all of this proceed with horror before the heavy chains encompassing him pulled him along. "Take it all in," Hazel Rainart growled, his face set in cold rage as he kept an iron grip on the chain linking them. "This is all you could've ever brought, Ozpin. But now she has summoned you." The big man, who could've been a very noble protector under different circumstances, forced the boy to stagger towards the shattered ruins of Beacon Academy. He had never been there himself, but everyone had seen pictures of the most famous elite Huntsmen school on Remnant, plus Ozpin had many, many fond memories of its halls, its courtyard, its classrooms. Now a pack of Beowolves were perching on the main statue while two King Taijitu twisted their massive bodies around the pillars, crushing them with their constrictions. A colossal Wyvern loomed at the very top of Beacon Tower, roaring at the heavens.

Oscar tried not to look at the interior, but the broken walls and furniture, not to mention the bodies strewn everywhere, were impossible to ignore. Blood practically caked the ground, sloshing around their footsteps. A nearby classroom had cries and growls coming out of it, then the upper part of the wall shattered as something was thrown through it. Similar sights greeted the boy as he was led to where the elevator should've been, but the entire corridor upwards was ripped out. But a slab was at the top with Penny nailed to it. The girl only few dismissed as just a robot had her body parts torn off and affixed to the rock in some grotesque shape. Her once vibrant eyes of wonder were completely empty. A prowling Sphinx growled at the two but let them pass. Black, spindly arms with sharp nails emerged from the wall as they approached and grabbed them, slowly pulling them upward. With chunks of wall missing everywhere and the low speed of the arms' ascension, Oscar (and Ozpin) could see again every twisted piece of the carnage outside. Try as they might, they couldn't look away or block out the images. Neither spoke a word in resigned horror.

Finally, the two were brought to the top floor, where Hazel snapped his part of the chain forward, making the poor boy lurch in front of him. In place of Ozpin's old desk and chair, now there was a heavy table surrounded by seven chairs. Cinder Fall, Neopolitan, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows (the latter two he only knew from pictures James had shown), all of which were seated and looked down at him with sadistic glee while the world burned around them.

To his left, he could see the four Relics, the only chance he had of proving humanity's worth to the Brothers. But they were all cracked and damaged, and he could sense that whatever power they once possessed was now gone, leaving only useless trinkets.

And on his right, he saw something that made the teen's heart skip a few beats: Teams RWBY, JNR, Qrow, Glynda, James and Maria were kneeling on the ground nearby. They weren't chained up, but a collection of Apathy surrounded them, their influence shown by the complete lack of emotion in their faces. Even Ruby looked completely resigned and broken.

"I will give you this, my dear," he turned to the last chair that slowly swiveled around to face him. Sure enough, it was Salem. Her body was clad in a form-fitting black dress with protrusions looking like horns on her shoulders, and her entire form crackled with golden energy, a sure sign of where the Relics' magic had gone. Her face was set in a pleased smirk as she continued, "you always did know how to find a place with a view." She gestured to the large window behind her. "This is all I ever could've ever dreamed for, Ozpin, or Ozma, or whatever little name you've chosen for yourself this time." The Queen of the Grimm rose to her feet and glided over to his allies, none of them even acknowledging her presence. "At first, I enjoyed their screams of rage and despair, their sobbing, but even the sweetest music can grow tedious after some time. I know just how to silence them, fortunately." Salem traced her finger along Ruby's chin, making him shake in a vain attempt to do something. But before he could say a word, a chain wrapped around his mouth. "Hush, dear. She was the most defiant of all, but like her mother, she too succumbed to despair. I suppose you chose your champion well, but it never could've been enough against me." She moved her hand away, letting the silver-eyed girl's head hang limp.

"Now then," Salem waved her hand, magic swirling around into a vortex to her right. After a few seconds, an image began to show in it, solidifying into an overhead view of Gotham City. "Draining the Relics of their magic was a necessary step; I cannot have the serpents returning and causing any interference in their self-righteousness. But it would be a shame to not put all this energy to use." She gestured to the vortex. "I heard an interesting story of how you, dear Ozpin, once left Remnant briefly to play the hero on another world. A world without Grimm, of all things. Well," her smile widened as he looked on in terror, "I believe it would be a courtesy for me to introduce my pets to them. And whatever allies you made there will fall like them."

Cinder and Tyrian then joined their queen with a gas container in each hand. "I did make some… interesting acquaintances there, though," Salem continued as they showed him a closer look. One was purple and had a green smile painted on it., the other was a dull brown. His eyes widened when he realized the implications. "They offered a number of curious ideas in exchange for their servitude. And I do wonder what sort of music," their attention turned back to the dull collection of heroes, "these concoctions could produce in my guests."

The reincarnated hero thrashed in desperate anger against his restraints, trying to do something against this madness. Salem's smile slipped away as she returned his glare. "I promised I would watch you burn, beloved. And I have spent a very, very long time thinking of how to truly punish you for what you've done. And this," a heavy coffin of dark-green polished marble rose up behind him, "seems fitting. Killing you now would simply send your soul to whatever human may be left. But while you're still a young boy, watching helplessly as everything you tried to protect is broken by my will, this is much more enticing." The lid was telekinetically removed, showing green lining inside. The chains fell away from the boy as he was forced towards it. He struggled, he kicked, he screamed, but his arms were tapped by his side so he couldn't even reach for his weapons. As his back slammed into the velvet, the lid moved back into its original place, a square hole allowing him to see Salem's cold frown and hear her next words perfectly. "This is the end, beloved."

"No, no! I won't let this happen! N-" SLAM

* * *

Scarecrow cackled as he watched the Bat and his young friend writhe on the floor. Pumping up the gas from the vents beneath them had been tricky, but worth the effort. He could already taste the fear that would increase from the suggestions he could now impose upon them. Crane loomed over the boy, fingers twitching in excitement-

Then paused. Was it his imagination, or was the boy… glowing? Before he could do anything, a surge of emerald color rose in tandem with two defiant screams.

* * *

" **NO!** " Thousands of voices shouted at once, and Oscar's eyes surged with golden light as Ozpin unleashed his magic and Aura in tandem, shattering the heavy marble. He then leaped out of the coffin and onto patchwork ground, supporting his legs with his left hand on the ground, holding the Long Memory in his right behind him. He wasn't even sure if he could do anything meaningful, but he'd be damned if they could just lock him up and endure all this without a fight! However, as he prepared to face his enemies, whatever battle-cry would've left his lips was replaced with a, "Hmm."

Righting himself, the wizard saw that Salem, her inner circle, all of Beacon was gone; instead, it was that same misshapen, twisted world that Scarecrow's concoction dragged them to. "Ah, some part of me had a feeling that this was all a bit too horrifying, like all of my worst images of her succeeding were thrown together at once." Oz muttered, noting he wasn't alone: a tanned man with pale hair and dressed in blue was snarling at him from inside a cell, his arms restrained by a straitjacket and his brown eyes feral. In the cell next to him, another tanned, bespectacled man in a blue shirt and baggy pants was rocking himself on the floor. Turning around, a third, pale man in a dark-purple suit was jerking this way and that, his ringed fingers making grabbing motions like he was trying to catch flies. Noting all of their familiar faces, Ozpin's grip tightened on his cane, but he kept his tone even. "Oscar," he began, "I am very sorry to have usurped control from you again, but I have to ask if I could stay like this a bit longer. I do believe Dr. Crane and I need to have a discussion."

_Don't worry about it, I'm pretty sure I let you jump in just now. And be my guest, go to town on him. Just… let me have a couple of minutes with him, too, okay?_

"Of course," Ozpin promised, running up a tunnel, reminiscent of the one that had scanned them when Oscar had first arrived, and jumping to the next platform. He noticed himself (well, his original body) crouching down and chewing on a rat. Lovely stuff, this Fear Gas. As he grappled over a hole leading into the abyss, the teen's body trembled as a voice rippled through his ears, " _ **What are you doing, little boy?**_ " Scarecrow's syringe-fingers gripped the top of the wall Oz was standing next to, but he kept his cool and waited until the headache subsided, then timed his jump to the next ledge when the giant was watching elsewhere. He clambered onto a stoop and pulled himself forward, but stopped when Scarecrow pierced the ground in front with a " _ **What was that?**_ " Skeletons rose up and charged, but the wizard formed an Explosive Gel-shaped gear on the ground, backed away and detonated it, sending bones flying everywhere. Whatever skeletons were left got struck to pieces with precise blows from his cane.

He then slowly but steadily maneuvered himself along the walls, stopping whenever the doctor's gaze washed over his hiding spot, then continuing. TV screens were playing some kind of recording of Salem making a speech about despair, but Ozpin ignored it. He would deal with her at a later time. What he and Oscar had just seen was something that would haunt them both for the rest of their lives, but it hadn't come to pass yet. And right now, the colossal Scarecrow was their primary target.

A bigger platform showed Sage in an electric chair being tortured by Neo, but that too was just an illusion, and not worth their time. " _ **Can you believe what you see, child?**_ " Lightning flashed while he moved along the path, and the boy's body was replaced with those of his predecessors, sometimes Ozpin, sometimes Ozma, but they were all the same to Oz. He walked along a moving slab of metal that prevented Scarecrow from finding him, then jumped up to a ledge that crumbled at his touch. The rock began falling apart under his steps, but Ozpin timed it right and vaulted up to a steel beam, from which he swung to safe ground. Then he climbed up an elevator and leaped across the chasm towards the familiar pedestal.

Rolling to a stop, he drew his cane in preparation, but then the world flashed for a bit, and then Oz saw himself back in the real world, restraining Scarecrow's right arm while Batman held him by the throat. " _ **I think you both need a little more.**_ " The villain snarled before wrenching free and stabbing Oscar's arm with his syringes. As he stumbled back, groaning, he could just make out Batman looking at him in concern while Scarecrow then jabbed the needles into his forearm…

" _ **Tell me, what demons do you heroes have left to beat? Shall we see?**_ " As his head cleared, Ozpin found the floor underneath him crumble away as he flew next to Batman onto a square floor, surrounded by a tall fence that the giant Scarecrow was leaning on. " _ **Are you enjoying the extra dose, little ones?**_ " He taunted as skeletons tore themselves free of the dirt. " _ **Oh, I won't rush things this time. I'm going to savor every moment of your terror as I slowly destroy you.**_ " Glancing at each other, the friends exchanged nods before attacking the bone collections, beating them apart with swift blows. Ozpin leap-kicked off one before jabbing at another, sending its skull flying, then as he landed, he spun his cane between his left hand's fingers and broke apart those behind him. Batman for his part darted from skeleton to skeleton, shattering them with single blows. He then punched down one while roundhouse-kicking another before somersaulting to drive an elbow into a third.

A spotlight under Scarecrow's right arm turned on, burning his arm as he reeled from the light. " _ **You're fighting back. Good. It can only weaken your resolve.**_ " A massive skeleton burst free and charged at them with a roar, but a single disc and them rolling out of the way made it crash into pieces. A second spotlight activated, causing Scarecrow to pull his left arm away in pain. But the madman remained confident as more of hie skeletal minions arose. " _ **How much more do you think your friend can take, little bat? Does it scare you to know that I have almost broken him and defeated you?**_ "

Ozpin stood ready when Oscar called out to him. _Hey, Oz, you mind letting me back in the fight? I need to let off some steam too._ With a tiny smile, he nodded and shifted his face away so that only Batman could see the glowing of his eyes. Then Sage was back in action, sending bones flying everywhere with his attacks. The Dark Knight was right behind him, even felling the giant skeleton barreling at them. As they fought as a team, the corpses were smashed to pieces. One final spotlight lit up right underneath Scarecrow's chin, making him cower away in pain. But the light faded away as a clockwork pedestal rose in front of it. As Batman gave him a look, Oscar motioned for him to head to the spotlight as he ran for the device. He drove the Long Memory into the socket and turned, causing the gears to turn and the spotlight to reactivate. Just as Scarecrow lunged at them, Batman angled the green-and blue stream at his emaciated stomach, burning him away with a cry.

* * *

"How are you doing this?!" Scarecrow squirmed back in the real world as Batman pulled him closer from the other side of the bars. An attempt to further inject him met with failure as Sage brought his cane down on the syringes, breaking them and making him pull his hand back with a pained yelp. "You've each ingested enough toxins to drive ten men insane! What are you?" He kicked out against the bars to free himself and scampered down the hall.

Catching their breaths, both heroes noted they were still in the Cell Block Transfer, surrounded by unconscious convicts. "Why fight it, Batman?" Scarecrow called, having put as much distance between them as possible. "You're as crazy as the rest of us. And whatever green powers your sidekick has is proof he's no better. You both need this as much as we need you. And to prove it, I'll flood the catacombs with enough Fear Gas to break the minds of everyone in Gotham for a hundred years."

Shaking himself, Oscar managed to stand straight and looked at his friend. "You okay?" he panted, asking both Batman and Ozpin.

"I'll live," Batman answered, flexing his fingers. _And so will we,_ Oz assured him. _Assisted by my magic, your Aura is cleaning out the rest of the Fear Gas. Soon, no trace will remain. However, I would advise not to use any magic for a while so your reserves can recover._

 _Will do. And thanks for saving me. Because this time, that was mostly you, Oz._ Oscar thought with a smile as he followed Batman. His teacher simply chuckled and somehow gave him a mental pat on the shoulder. But anything more would have to come later. Together, the pair marched through the doorway to Secure Transit, just as the elevator was heading down. Three guesses as to who was inside. Sage peered over the edge to see the bottom open up to let it pass through, then slide back shut. They immediately jumped down the path, then Batman glided them to a nearby part where they stepped from ledge to ledge, snagging one more Riddler trophy until they hit the bottom. Now it only needed to be opened.

"Won't Joker be pissed?" someone nearby asked. Detective Mode revealed a trio of goons on guard nearby.

"Why should he? He let Crane out in the first place." They took the long way around.

"So what's down there?"

"Killer Croc's cell. Hell, you've heard the stories, might as well call it his feeding house. Same difference. No goes in and comes out again whole." A vent just above the shaft's bottom led to a little corner filled with straw and blueprints of the whole Arkham complex. Photographs of Batman covered one column as Oscar understood; this was Scarecrow's hideout in the asylum. But there wasn't any kind of weapon or the like lying around. Batman snapped a picture of their surroundings, leading Riddler to exclaim, " _What?! You've found 75% of my challenges? That can't be right._ "

"So why's Scarecrow going down there?" They crawled out of the vent and back up towards the thugs.

"Who cares? I locked the door behind him. He ain't coming out again." The way to the control room was unguarded, and some well-placed projectiles knocked down the chattering thugs. Batman and Sage were by them in seconds to deal the knockout blows. The boy then turned to the nearby control box and used his sequencer to disable it. The bottom opened again with a rumbling of the gears.

Batman made for the ramp, but then stopped and faced him again. "Look," he started, "I'm grateful for all the help you've given me so far, Sage, but you've already been through enough punishment tonight. Even after Crane, there's still Croc to handle, and after him, Ivy and Joker. Neither you nor Ozpin have any obligations to help me further." His tone grew gentler. "You can head back to the others, Oscar. I'm sorry for putting you though all this."

"Neither you nor Oz put me through anything, Batman." Oscar calmly walked past him to the elevator. "I chose to help you throughout this whole night, and the least I can do is stand with you to the end. Besides," he smiled reassuringly at the older man, "Scarecrow's stuff did a number, but it's like Ozpin once said, ' _fear itself isn't worthy of concern, it is who we become while in its clutches._ ' And I can tell it hasn't been enough to break the Batman." He could hear Oz chuckling in the back of his mind. _I couldn't have said it better myself._

Batman smiled back. "Wise words. And from the look of things, it hasn't broken either of you." His face then set in its trademark scowl. "Now let's make sure my city doesn't have to find out tonight." They then ran over and, with Sage hanging onto him, Batman swooped down to a deeper floor, where they could say more goons were posted.

"That guy freaks me out." "Me too." They were all clustered in front of the gate.

"What's he doing down there anyway? Why does the boss let him walk around this place? I don't trust him." _Smart move,_ the two O's thought at that remark.

"Just another distraction for the Bat, which suits me just fine." They climbed down to the top of the elevator, then slipped to ground level.

"What do you mean?"

"He means, if the Bat and his lil sidekick is looking for Scarecrow, they ain't bothering us, and we may just get out of here in one piece."

"Good plan." Batman then lunged at the closest thugs, tackling one and kicking at the knee of another. While some rushed straight for him, another got the bright idea to go for one for the gun rack mounted on the wall. Too bad that one was under watch; Sage reeled him away with his grapnel and flipped him headfirst onto the floor. As two more noticed him and attacked, he crouched low and lashed his cane against their knees, making them drop down and leaving their heads open for a powerful swing. Righting himself, the boy saw his partner pummel another out of the waking world before somersaulting to a perp who was trying to pry open the other box full of guns. He slammed that one's skull against the metal, then backhanded one who tried sneaking up on him; that one then got knocked to the concrete by a swing from Sage's cane. He then disoriented the last one with a few jabs before letting Batman finish him with a rolling kick. Oh, wait, that wasn't the last one, the real last one managed to pry out a gun and was aiming at them. Acting almost like they had rehearsed it, the detective knocked the rifle out of his hands with a batarang, then the young wizard forced him against the wall with a two-handed thrust to the chest.

Dusting themselves off, the pair then headed for the door to the left, which brought them to the access for the control room. It was sparse and housing a bit too many skulls for Oscar's taste, but they moved quickly through it, noting the big words, "DANGER KEEP OUT" painted in white with skull and crossbones. The next door led to the sewers, where smaller versions of Ivy's vines hung from the upper corners. In curiosity, Batman crouched down to a moss-encrusted one and took a sample. "We'll need to track the right plant for the antidote," he explained to Sage.

The teen made to nod, but then tensed. "Too late, Batman!" The addressed turned around to see what Sage had spotted: Scarecrow standing next to the edge, dangling a little burlap sack in his right hand. "One step closer from either of you, and this goes into the water! The cave will fill with your deepest, darkest nightmares, and you two will never reach your precious Venom roots." He giggled in triumph, keeping his distance as they drew closer.

"Don't do it, Crane!" Sage called out and would've stepped closer, but Batman held him back. When he turned to look, the crimefighter subtly gestured at the water behind the villain. Focusing, the teen could hear a guttural growl and see a bulge just under the surface moving near them. But Scarecrow was too busy taunting them to notice until a splash from behind made him look up to see Killer Croc looming over him. He was then hoisted into the air with a cry, the sack slipping from his grasp and landing into Oscar's open hands. The boy then backed away while Croc stopped from biting into his prey and glared at him. Batman quickly drew a batarang and tossed it at the mutant's neck, setting off his collar and making him dive in pain back into the canal with Scarecrow in tow.

After a moment, the water calmed again, and Sage turned to Batman, still a bit in shock. "Croc smelled us and went for Crane because he was closest, right?" The Dark Knight nodded, and under Oz' suggestion, he sprayed some Explosive Gel onto the bag and threw it under some rocks before hitting the detonator. A light _boom!_ signified that threat had been neutralized. "I know you believe in no killing, but it's kinda hard for me to feel sorry about him right now."

"Croc probably won't eat him," Batman replied as they took another step into Croc's lair. "He'd know better than to take a bite out of something that rotten."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. After writing this chapter, I've come to the revelation that I REALLY don't like writing horror scenes. Sorry if the last Scarecrow nightmare was short, but it broke my heart putting Oscar and Ozpin through that torture, I just couldn't describe it more. Oh, and to clarify, in each of the nightmare segments (aside from the last part), Batman fights through his own version, the canon one. And he gets by on his own willpower without help from Oz, because HE'S BATMAN. I just don't show those parts that much. As for how Oscar has handled the same amount of Fear Gas Batman has, a combination of Aura and Oz' magic.


	13. Chapter 12: Sewers And Pumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep in the labyrinth of Arkham's sewers, Batman and Oscar need to recover the necessary ingredients for the Titan cure. All while avoiding becoming Killer Croc's next meal.

Keeping a careful eye on the stream, Batman and Sage navigated themselves via Line Launcher deeper into the sewers. They picked up a trophy they had almost missed before stopping inside the beginnings of a tunnel, warning signs plastered all around it. A deep growl reverberated along its walls. Oscar noted the barred gate that could be pulled down if need be as Batman used his comms. "Oracle, we're heading into Croc's lair to collect the plant spores Ivy spoke about. He's in some kind of old sewer network. Send us the schematics, it's like a maze down here."

" _There's nothing on record. Bruce, are you sure about this? At least let Oscar sit this one out, it sounds like a suicide mission._ "

Sage spoke up while Batman attached some bat-shaped device to a pipe. "Thanks for the concern, Barbara, but I'm coming too. Two sets of hands can help with this kind of mess. Besides, what should I do, just sit here and draw Croc to me?"

When she was about to protest, Batman cut her off. "We've got no choice and he's right. At least this way, we can keep an eye out for each other. I've tuned the scanners to detect the spores required to make the Anti-Venom. It'll lead us straight to them."

"What about Croc?" The teen asked; he wanted to help, but he knew that the mutant was a handful, and he still wasn't anywhere near Oz' level.

"Croc's not the same thug for hire he was from Ozpin's time." Batman calmly sprayed an extra layer of Explosive Gel onto the floor, motioning for his partner to do the same. "At this point, he's just an animal. And animals just need traps and the right bait. We'll be fine." A large bat surrounding two gears was now plastered onto the floor, Oscar feeling a pleasant sense of nostalgia from his teacher at the symbol. "We'll contact you when we're done." The Caped Crusader promised Oracle before signing off. They then moved cautiously toward the end of the tunnel, where solid ground led to deep water. Wooden platforms were floating on the surface, forming a sort of path. Examining the closest one, Batman turned his head to Sage. "These floating platforms should support both of us, but will also send sound waves through the water, giving away our position to Croc."

"So we'll need to move as slowly as possible." Sage deduced from the explanation and carefully stepped onto the first platform. _Remember,_ Ozpin cautioned him while he crouched down, _put as little weight into your steps as possible. Spread your arms a bit, that can shift some more weight so that your movements aren't heavy. And keep an even pace._ The instructions helped him stay focused as the pair slowly crept across the path, Sage's googles showing a little display of how much the water was disturbed. So far, so good.

They climbed one after the other over a metal gate, simultaneously would've been too noisy. Rounding a few more corners at the same pace, it started feeling pretty easy until something surged up further up from them. Snarling, Killer Croc charged straight at them, smashing an overhead pipe to pieces in the process. Batman immediately straightened and threw a batarang at his collar, triggering it and making him stumble back into the water. _Right, no such thing as too easy,_ Oscar scolded himself as they continued.

But the rest of the journey was uneventful, and after climbing over another gate, they could see the first spore hanging from the ceiling. Sage cut it loose with a disk, and they went over to its landing place. Batman deftly cut out what he needed before frowning. "These spores don't contain enough of the Anti-Venom mold. We're going to need to find more."

"Then let's split up and separately go after the spores," Sage offered. As Batman looked at him, he continued, "Traveling together means we can help each other out, but it also means we make more noise together. This way, we can cover more ground, besides, Croc can't be in two places at once. Right?" he briefly asked; with their luck, he may've had some kind of duplication or teleportation power. But the detective shook his head. "Then he can only go after one of us. It's our best chance, we don't have much time."

Batman sighed after some thought. "Fine, but you keep your eyes open and listen to Ozpin. And whatever you do, don't tell Oracle I agreed to this." They shared a brief grin before he checked their scanners. "Five more spores in total should do. We each locate two and meet at the last one." Nodding, the teenaged mage then snuck off in one direction while the detective took the other.

Ozpin was already giving him pointers, seeing as he still had a little over sixty meters ahead of him. _Croc's hide appears to have grown tougher since our last encounter, and you can't yet draw on the same strength I can without exhausting yourself._

_Not to mention he has the home-field advantage. If I fall into the water, he'll rip me apart in seconds._

_Right, so keep your pace steady, and if he surfaces, remember to aim for his collar._ Then a rumble passed through the tunnels sounding like, " **I smell you, boy…** " Shuddering a bit, Sage slipped closer and closer to the nearest spore. " **You're not Ozpin, but you know where he is…** " then the platform he stepped off of suddenly started shaking. " **Don't you?!** " It was then crushed into splinters. _Oscar, run!_ Not needing any more prompting, the boy immediately got up and ran full speed down the platforms as one by one, they flew apart. After a while, it stopped, and he resumed his original pace, slinking along the wood.

Rounding a corner, Sage saw the hanging spore and cut it loose with a sharp disk. As he picked away the necessary parts into a little tube, he considered what had just happened. _He's toying with me, isn't he? I didn't even notice he was behind me until he smashed the wood. Croc's telling me that he could take me down any time he wanted to._ His work done, the former farmhand then noted his scanner adjusting for the next plant; this one was over a hundred meters away. _And it sounds like he still wants to have a chat with you._

 _Imagine my delight. Perhaps you would be good enough to let me take over so I can prepare tea and cake for our reunion?_ Oscar had to make sure any sounds of amusement stayed in his head. _Jokes aside, let him play his game. He's underestimating you, and we don't need to fight him, only evade him._ They could both hear some kind of commotion in the distance, but this was nowhere near the teenaged fighter's position; most likely, Croc was divvying up his time between stalking Sage and stalking Batman. And the Dark Knight was capable of taking care of himself.

But then as Oscar was about halfway to his target, a thick wooden gate was in his way a few platforms ahead. Going around would take too long, and he didn't know for sure if he could find another way to the spore. Just when he was thinking about blowing it apart with Explosive Gel, a splash could be heard from the other side, and then the humanoid reptile burst through, teeth bared. Acting on instinct, Sage drew a disc and hurled it at the collar, the static running through Croc's neck and making him stumble back into the water. Moving quickly, the boy tiptoed along the boards through the now open passage, and after a few more turns, he was already getting the next spore down.

Collecting the antidote was a cinch, but now he had to reach the next one, which was about a hundred-and-fifty meters from his current spot. Taking a calming breath, Sage slunk off to the left towards the last spore, and hopefully the place where he'd see Batman again. This time, there was a longer gap between his start and Croc attacking the platforms to get to him. He guessed that his partner was occupying the villain, but it wasn't quite enough. A giant scaly arm lunged out at Oscar, who barely twisted out of its grip before the rest of Croc began to surface. He rapidly extended his cane and battered the mutant's face, even managing to knock out a tooth or three before he retreated. Then Oscar moved as quickly down the path as he could, hearing growls from every side. " **That stick… it's his alright. I haven't forgotten his stink, and I won't forget yours, boy.** " Ignoring him, he kept crawling on down the straight route until he saw a dark shape around the corner. Tensing and holding his cane ready, Sage then relaxed when he saw Batman. Nodding to each other, they then reached the last spore together, which a disk felled.

But as they rose to collect it, a rumble from behind made them spin around. The platforms that had brought the pair here were smashed to toothpicks, one after the other. Soon, there was nothing left to step on. Forcing down his panic, Oscar turned back to the plant and took what he needed. Once he was done, he looked up at Batman. "This is the third sample I found."

"Then we've got enough spores. We need to get back to the Batcave and formulate the antidote." The detective then typed a series of buttons onto his gauntlet. Instantly, Sage's googles pinged and he could see how far they were away from the exit. Before he could ask how he did that, Oracle realized it first. " _Oh, I get it! You've activated a sonar beacon down there. Clever._ "

 _Fortune favors the prepared,_ Oz mused while Batman replied, "Oracle, we're getting out of here." The reading showed a little over five hundred meters between them and safety.

" _What about Croc?_ "

"He won't be a problem." Drawing his Line Launcher, Batman fired a straight line for them. With his own zipline, Sage quickly followed him across the open water, even as a claw shot out twice to snag them. _Times like these, I'm glad I've got short legs._ As soon as their feet touched wood, the pair began the long process of sneaking across the platforms.

More than once, the boards would get smashed or Croc himself would lunge out at them, but they stayed on their toes, and the collar hadn't lost its effectiveness yet. The Line Launcher helped speed things up and cross bodies of water, too. And of course, the beast continued to taunt them. There was a brief moment where his jaws lunged at Batman's leg but using the Long Memory to prop them open let him vulnerable to a flurry of punches. Though Ozpin wasn't happy about the drool covering his lifeslong companion afterward. Then, just as it was only a hundred meters to the tunnel, Croc yelled, " **You can't run from me!** " and tore apart the platforms behind them.

"Wanna bet?" Sage and Batman broke into sprints, heading down the wood and vaulting over gates that were all smashed to pieces by their enemy's rampage. They rounded the corners, never looking back, even when solid ground was under their feet. A heavy splash could be heard as they ran back to the spot that was covered in gel. " **My caves will be your tomb!** " Croc swore as he chased them. The iron gate from before slammed down in front of them, but they calmly turned around; at this point, Oscar understood his friend's actions prior to stepping into the lair. As the angry monster barreled down their path, both held their detonators ready until Batman shouted, "Now!"

The explosion collapsed the cement underneath Croc, sending him hurtling down into unknown depths with a splash. After that, Batman forced up the gate just enough for Oscar to slip through, then the teen held it for him to roll under it. " **I WILL FIND YOU ALL!** " Croc's last warning echoed up to them while they left that part of the sewers.

But there was more to worry about than the grudge of a cannibalistic monster. They still needed to get out of the sewers and cook up a cure for the Titan, so Batman wasted no time in taking Sage's samples and then ziplining them both from the sewers back to the part which led to the surface. But as they moved closer, it turned out a group of thugs was standing around. Spreading themselves against the wall, the pair listened in. "It's not down here!"

"Joker says the Bat's got a storeroom or a cave or something down here." A bit of panic flashed through Oscar, but neither Batman nor Ozpin seemed worried, so it faded away.

"No way!"

"Joker says he's getting his toys from somewhere. Makes sense, I guess."

"If it's down here, it's hidden good, so keep looking! The boss isn't happy and I don't wanna be the one to piss him off."

"Yeah. Good point." So, Joker had figured out that Batman had a base on the island, but he didn't know where it was. And these boys hadn't found it yet, either. Good to know. The attack was swift and unexpected; a goon holding a pipe got his feet knocked from under him, then his lights kicked out. Sage then struck two more with his cane multiple times before flooring them while Batman broke the arm of a thug trying to stab him. He then flipped to another who had ripped a monitor out of the wall and made to throw it, then took him down with a haymaker. The last tried calling for backup, but first his radio flew out of his hands and into the water, then his face joined it.

But even after the fight, neither crimefighter could let their guard down; a heavy tremor shook the entire tunnel. " _I take it you felt that,_ " Oracle reported. " _The plants are going crazy, I'm getting seismic spikes in all locations. It's not good._ "

"It's okay," Batman assured her. "I've got the mold samples. We're heading to the Batcave to mix up the antidote."

" _Good. I'd tell you to hurry, but I'm sure you know what you're doing. Contact me in the cave if you guys need anything._ " They then climbed back into the same place they had left the cave the first time Oscar had been brought to it. Neither wasted any time running down the cavern walls until coming to the sealed entrance. "Scan and open." A scanner noted it was Batman, then the rock slid aside for both to enter.

The older man immediately went for the computer, placing the samples he and Oscar had collected into a device. As he typed on the keyboard, Oscar stood by, watching everything proceed. He'd worked on a farm, but chemically altered plants were a bit out of his are of expertise. _I've been a scientist a few times,_ Oz chimed in, _but from what I could see of her work, Dr. Young's research wasn't simple by any means. Best we stay out of the way for now._

 _No arguing there,_ Sage agreed as the main screen showed a percentage while bonding processes scrolled up next to it. It was slow going, progress was being made. " _How close are you to making the cure?_ " Oracle finally asked for the both of them.

"Close. It's been more difficult than I expected. The process is slow, difficult, and doesn't produce much antidote." He then walked to a machine next to the computer that slowly opened.

"And the good news?" Sage asked while joining him. Batman pulled out two injectors, each with a green fluid.

"The chemical will definitely stop Ivy. It may also reverse the Titan transformation." The Dark Knight handed him one of the doses. "This way, we can cure Ivy and have a reserve just in case. I'd like to run some more tests to be sure, but we're low on time." As they looked to the computer which showed near-complete progress, Batman continued. "I've set the computer to create more, but we need to get out of here and find Ivy."

" _Thank God, and with that, I mean_ _our_ _God. No offense, Sage, but yours seem like jerks. Anyway, Ivy's plants have reached the Gotham River._ " Before anyone could say anything more, vines suddenly shot out of the ceiling and wrapped themselves around anything they could. Including the equipment. Batman and Sage ducked and dodged the plants, dropping off the main platform while the rest of the cave was crushed and twisted beyond use. " _Batman!_ " Barbara called with increasing worry." _Sage! Oscar! Bruce! Are you all right?!_ "

A black gauntlet grabbed hold of a nearby ledge and pulled up the rest of Batman. "We're fine." His other arm was wrapped around Oscar's stomach as they watched in relative safety how the roots constricted around most of the cave. He then examined the boy for any injuries, but Sage flashed a thumbs up. Sighing a bit in relief, he then checked one of his pouches. "Antidote hasn't been damaged. You?"

Sage pulled it out of his coat. "Still intact. But what now?" He nodded towards the ruins of the Batcave. "With the computer damaged, how are we supposed to get more of the cure?"

"Don't worry, Sage. That one's linked to the original Batcave's systems. Even with this gear broken, I've still got the formula for the cure copied down, and Alfred will work on producing more. It just means we have to make do with what we have right now." While he spoke, Batman headed for an intact crate and started attaching separate pieces to his Batclaw. After a little more tinkering, he aimed the blockier-looking grapnel at a nearby damaged wall and fired. Three hooks shot out at once and affixed themselves, then with a strong tug, the section was pulled apart, leaving a way out. "I'd offer you an upgrade, Sage, but there's only enough for mine."

Oscar just shrugged. "I don't have the muscle or the weight to use that anyway." They then hopped over to the opening and climbed their way out of the caves until reaching an opening. It showed a collection of outcroppings and part of the island still untouched by the complex or Ivy's power. Without another word, Sage held onto Batman who glided down to one of the rocks, from which they navigated their way to higher ground. Two more trophies in different places were recovered, much to Riddler's rising frustration, and then finally, the Line Launcher carried them to another cave that ultimately led them back into the sewer.

All the while, Oscar thought about the man next to him. Here he was, no Aura, no Semblance, just a collection of gadgets, going up against people who would be able to at least put up a good fight against trained Huntsmen. And all the while, he never complained or ran away. He just took a stand and fought them. The boy could only guess what kind of personal sacrifices he'd have made just to keep up this crusade. One that didn't seem to end, judging from both Ozpin's memories which kept appearing and his own observations on how the villains acted. Most people would've probably thrown their hands in the air and given up.

His mentor spoke with admiration. _I honestly didn't have anything to do with his will. He possessed all of it before letting me guide him. Truth be told, though, there was at least one moment where he came close to stopping._ Oz showed him a rather painful sight of kneeling over an older man (Alfred) while Bruce looked so broken. _But we managed to save Alfred's life, and he in turn encouraged Bruce to continue. And he's got other allies like Barbara._

 _And us._ Oscar reminded his friend with a smile. _But I've still got one question: you said a while back that he helped you too. What did you mean?_

_He gave me hope, reminded me that even when the problems look difficult, even never-ending, that sometimes you have to keep fighting. It's like you were thinking a minute ago: even with all the odds stacked against him, Batman has continued to protect his home. He's worked to ensure that its citizens have at least a chance of living good lives. It inspired me too. Especially since I was having another one of those crises. I suppose I needed someone like him, an ordinary man with a personal mission, to remember why I have to keep trying._

Sage looked again at the caped man running ahead through the sewers and understood completely. But the train of thought had to end when they each had to take care of an oversized pod while Oracle called again. " _Guys, I've been running a simulation on the damage Ivy's plants will do if they reach Gotham._ "

"They won't get that far. My antidote will stop them and Ivy." Batman's voice carried no trace of doubt in it.

" _I hope you're right. I'm here if you need me._ " A third pod blocking the path to the exit was popped open with the Long Memory, then they continued. At the main sewer junction, the detective's eyes narrowed at a stream of green sludge pouring down in front of them. Sage saw it too. "Is that what I think it could be?"

"Probably." They drew closer to the plant-encrusted catacombs. "Oracle, we've got another problem."

" _What now? Two-Face? Riddler? Grimm attack? Some kind of giant Joker robot with Salem singing bad opera on the side?_ " Despite the severity, Oscar snorted at the last part.

Even Batman was a bit amused. "Unfortunately, nothing that simple." _Though to be fair, Salem never was much good at singing. One of her few traits that did not endear me to her._ "We're at the main sewer junction and it appears to be polluted with Titan. Why? What's he doing now?" He took his frustration on a nearby pod before climbing to another ledge.

" _I'll look into it._ " Steadily, they rose to higher levels. Some of the contaminated water splashed onto them, and more pods along the way didn't make it any easier, but Oscar's Aura didn't even flicker when it came into contact with the Titan. Batman noted all of this with his next report. "The Titan water seems to be corrosive, but if your Aura can handle it, it shouldn't trouble the suit. What have you found out?"

" _I'm not sure if either of you are ready for this._ "

"No, but go ahead." Sage grumbled while wading through the water to the next ledge. Batman in turn went off to get another trophy.

" _Joker's pumping all the waste product from the Titan process into that chamber. I t acts as a kind of natural storage tank. Once it's full, it releases into the Gotham River. Normally, it's safe, but…_ "

"But this time it's full of Titan." Oscar finished, realizing the kind of terror it could cause. If Joker turning his men into crazy brutes wasn't enough, who knows what the waste could do to the people of Gotham. Both heroes doubled their pace up the path. "How do we stop it?"

" _I'm working on it._ " Then after they had climbed a bit higher, Oracle reported, " _According to the plans I have on file, there are three control rooms. The first is directly above you._ "

"We'll shut them all down." Batman said while leading the way to a higher ledge. When Sage joined him, he fired the Line Launcher to get them to the other side of the junction.

" _What will happen if this Titan stuff reaches Gotham?_ "

"It won't reach Gotham." The crimefighter swore without a hint of hesitation. And the funny thing was, everyone who heard that declaration completely believed it. But Oscar didn't have much time to admire his friend's determination on account of them reaching the room. They could hear Joker over the radio inside. " _Get a move on! I'm not joking, I want it done now!_ "

"You heard him. You done yet?" He climbed over a brick arch to drop down for a trophy, then rejoined Batman.

"Yeah, we're at full power. It's pumping out gallons of the stuff!"

"What will it do?" "Who cares?" "But my mom lives down by the docks." _So it's true that even bad men love their mamas._

"I know!" "Everyone knows!" A bout of laughter, leaving Oscar wondering why so many resorted to 'your mama' jokes everywhere. Even on another world!

"Don't you talk about her. I'll kill you. Understand?" They were now one straight shot away from them.

"He's just messin'. Joker says this stuff don't do nothin' bad." Sage just rolled his eyes.

"But you can't believe a word he says."

"Have you seen what that Titan stuff does to people? Turns 'em into monsters."

"But my mom…" "Heh, it'll be an improvement." The following laughter was interrupted by Joker. " _Something funny? I take it you've done what I told you to do?_ " They hastily assured him. " _I hope so. 'Cause if you're lying to me, I'll have your eyes and fingers. You understand?_ " Batman then fired the Batclaw at the wall blocking them from the control room, then with a concentrated yank, pulled it apart. Then as the grapnels were immediately retracted, they were then shot out at the trio of henchmen that went to check. With them falling into the sewer parts, the pair then grappled up and casually walked into the control room, Sage flipping the only thug left onto the ground as an afterthought. " _Helloooooo! Can you hear me?_ " Joker called from the upper monitor. " _Oh, for the love of… I suppose that's you Boy Scouts in there, Bats'n'Green. Well, enjoy it while you can. These caves will be your tomb._ "

"Likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?" Sage mumbled as they moved on, prompting a grunt of agreement from Batman. The hall wound left and right to a door that led to the pressure control junction. Two thugs with rifles were standing ready. "You heard him," one said to the other, "Shoot to kill!"

"I never do anything else."

"Ha. That's not what I heard."

"What're you talking about? I'm the best shot in Gotham. Everyone knows that." Ozpin scoffed at that. _Miss Rose aside, I could give a list of better marksmen than this thug._

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I obviously didn't get the email." And he obviously didn't learn to pay attention to his surroundings, otherwise, both he and his friend would've noticed the man with cape and cowl grab them before they got their skulls knocked together. But he didn't, and they both fell with serious headaches while said man and his younger friend stepped over them.

Batman and Sage headed for the nearest junction, Joker screaming over the intercom, " _They're down there with you, making you all look like fools!_ " Soon enough, they were in the pump room, where a collection of thugs was standing around. "Then what?"

"He held him upside down and beat the crap out of him. The guy was a mess."

"Did he pay up?"

"Nah, he spent it all at the track." "What? You let him get away with it?"

"Do I look like an idiot?" _Yes._ "When I found out he had no cash, I cut out his kidneys, his liver, few other bits I don't know the name of, and sold 'em on the street. Some rich guy is probably walking around with 'em in him as we speak." It was surprising that even after half the things he'd seen that night, bile still rose in Oscar's stomach at the image. _I've sadly heard of similar crimes in Mistral and Vacuo._ Ozpin told him.

"And people… people just buy stuff like that?" The other guy asked before Oscar could.

"There's always a buyer out there. Whatever you're selling." If Oz had a head, he would've nodded.

"Nice story!" A third sarcastically claimed. "Got any others or do we get back to looking after this place?" At that, Sage hurled disks at three separate targets while Batman glide-kicked a knife-wielder and finished him with a punch. The teen then jumped down, his Aura cushioning the fall, and then made sure the ones he'd already hit didn't get back up.

" _They're making you look stupid!_ " Joker raged from the screen." _Which admittedly isn't that hard to do, it's_ _not_ _why I put you down there! They're trying to shut down the poser. Don't let them! Is that clear? Do you want me to send Harley… oh damn, she's locked up. Do you want_ _me_ _to come down there?_ " But the two heroes were too fast for them; one thug got his leg dislocated, another was slammed against the wall by one of the large pumps, and the remaining ones were simply beaten to the floor by a barrage of fists and one very solid cane. With that settled, Oscar accessed one of the controls via sequencer, shutting down the pump on the left. He then told Batman who was at the other one, "That's pump number one disabled."

Batman nodded to him as his control box sparked. "And that's the second pump shut off."

" _Just one more to go!_ " Oracle encouraged them as they climbed back up and left the room. Then a quick sprint into the main junction while Joker grew more frustrated. " _You do not listen to me! I said stop them but you let them through. Try harder, or I'll… I'll… I'll hurt you. Badly._ " _Now, if I were a more humorous man,_ Oz quipped, _I'd be teasing him for his lack of imagination. Then again, no imagination means he grows a little more predictable. So maybe I should stay quiet, keep my thoughts to myself._

Oscar just shook his head with a smile, crushing a couple more chattering teeth, then Batman brought him to the control room. Collared goons were patrolling the walkways, ready to shoot at anything looking suspicious. The Dark Knight gazed along the room, then whispered to Sage, "Go ahead to the controls and shut this place down. I'll keep them off you." He then pulled one straight ahead over the railing with his grapnel, letting the ex-farmboy sneak past. As he pulled down the only other thug in his way to smother him, he could already hear that garbled laughter and other cries of pain behind him. By the time Oscar had cracked the booby-trapped controls and deactivated the pumps, all of Joker's men were out of commission, and Batman was pulling down a wall or two for more things to solve.

Noe of which made Joker any happier. " _I said I wanted the Bat and Ozzy's runt stopped. Did no one listen? It's like you don't want an outbreak of Titan-enhanced mutant babies climbing over Gotham. I swear, it's Christmas Eve all over again!_ " Ignoring him, Oscar walked back to Batman and reported to his friends. "That's pump 3 disabled."

"Then we're going to head back up to the surface and track down Ivy."

" _Get in touch if either of you need anything._ " Then their Detective Mode showed that three more thugs had walked in. "What are we doing here?"

"Joker sent us to back up the other guys in the room." They drifted closer to the goons.

"Well' where are they? Shouldn't we have guns?"

"I don't need a gun, my body is all I need. I'm a human weapon." Sage rolled his eyes at that; like he'd never heard that one before. Not to mention Oz' encounters with that phrase.

Even the guy's allies weren't impressed. "No, you're an idiot, and we're going to die down here." A trio of grapnels hooked them and reeled them in for a beatdown; Mr. 'Human Weapon' was the first one unconscious. Batman and Sage then went back for the junction, ready to stop Ivy from turning Gotham City into a giant jungle.

At first, the only problem was a present full of confetti and chattering teeth, then the security gates powered up when they stepped into the main part of the junction. With the usual ring, Joker spoke through the intercom, " _I know you're down there, Bats, and your little runt, too! Ruining my plans. Well, stay where you are. I'm sending down a token of my displeasure. Oh gosh, I hope it doesn't hurt you too badly. And with you, I mean Bats. The twerp's almost as bad as that spotlight-stealing snazzy pinhead!_ " Just as they finished applying Explosive Gel in front of the gates ( _good thing Batman gave me that proximity-detonator upgrade,_ Sage thought while he worked), the ceiling shook. With a few more thuds, the young mage thought for a moment that it would come through the ceiling when the center door was ripped open by a Titan-enhanced goon. It charged with a roar at them, only to collide with the security gate. More goons poured out of another elevator, but some of them got blown back by the traps the heroes set.

From there, Batman and Sage worked in tandem against the assembled threats. One would handle the regular thugs while the other would deal with the brute, then they would trade places. Systematically, the former was whittled down, even with reinforcements pouring in from all sides, until only a handful was left. Oscar then climbed onto the stunned brute and made it swing its heavy arms into the others, bowling them over. Batman finished with swift blows while it finally managed to shake off the boy. Then as it angrily loomed over him, the Caped Crusader flipped over it, grabbed its head, and while Sage slid under its legs, whacking its ankles in the process, slammed its chin with all his strength into the ground.

Both leaned over a bit, panting from the effort, then Batman strode into an open elevator and pulled loose some parts of the walls for them to climb higher. Seeing what he had in mind, Sage applied a serving of gel to the counterweight and blew it to pieces when they got to safety, making the elevator come hurtling down with a crash. Batman then cleared a path for them to grapple up to, and from there, they walked onward for the outside. "Journeys end where they begin, huh?" Oscar mused out loud.

Batman looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I started out as a farmhand, now I'm helping to cut down on some massive plant overgrowth, aren't I?" Sharing a smirk with the older man, he held open the next door.


	14. Chapter 13: A Farmer's Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joker may still be on the loose, but Ivy's plants are the immediate threat. So they've gotta go. (Plus finish up with a certain riddle-obsessed hacker)

Blowing up a wall in the way, Batman led Sage to an overlook of Arkham West. It wasn't a pretty sight; the vines and warped trees had grown even more in their time underground. "Ivy's getting stronger," The veteran hero noted to his allies. "We need to stop her now."

" _I think she's still in the Gardens where you left her, but she'll be in control of it now._ " Oracle warned. " _You'll be walking into a trap._ "

"That's what she thinks."

"And if there's anything tilling the lands have taught me," Sage chimed in as they prepared to leap off, "it's that if you want to pull out a weed, you have to go for the roots." Batman nodded in agreement as he glided them down to a guard tower, where a thug was perched with sniper rifle. A few seconds later, he was out cold and the weapon disabled. " _This island belongs to me now._ " Ivy's voice rippled from out of nowhere.

 _No, not nowhere,_ Ozpin realized, _it's coming from her plants. She's projecting her voice through her creations. Salem has learned a similar trick over the centuries with certain Grimm._ The pair walked from the tower, prying open another pod ahead, before moving further down the path. Oscar popped a second one while Batman pinned down and took out an inmate that tried jumping him, the island trembling again. From there, it was a slow, steady progress of partially running and creeping along the path to neutralize the many pods scattered along the way. They also acquired more trophies thanks to the Line Launcher and the upgraded Batclaw, but there was still plenty of work to do.

" _What do you think you can do, Batman?_ " Ivy taunted while they cleaned out the abandoned tunnel. " _Or you, little boy? I am everywhere. My babies know your every move. You and your kind are arrogant enough to think you can destroy us._ " More quakes as the pair climbed over an arch and took out another pod before continuing. " _You will fail, and we… we will become the most powerful force on the planet._ " But Batman didn't so much as shiver from the tone and by this point, Oscar had already come to see things much more terrible than a little plant life gone wild. Compared to that last vision, Salem triumphant and his friends left to her whimsies, this was something he could handle. Especially with his two partners.

In front of the gate to Arkham East was one more pod and some chattering teeth; Sage forced the former open while Batman broke the latter. And past the gate grew more of the twisted plants, each of which had to be dealt with as they unleashed deadly seeds at the approaching heroes. And it seemed Ivy was aware of what they were doing. " _You will pay, Batman. For hurting my babies. And you, boy, will suffer for breaking your promise._ " _Um, I did say that we'd defend ourselves, didn't I?_

 _Don't take it personal, Oscar._ Oz himself wasn't impressed. _Like Batman said, her first loyalty is to vegetation. But I wager we're not the only ones tired of this debacle._ " _Oh God…_ " Joker grumbled over the more technological speakers. " _Does she ever stop going on about those plants of hers?_ " _See?_

" _Don't think I've forgotten your role in this!_ " Ivy shot back as Sage grappled to a watch tower in order to take care of a sniper. " _When I finish with Batman and his brat, I'll be coming after you, Joker._ " The boy smirked a bit at the note that she was aware of what that clown had done and would do, stomping on another of those stupid toys as he watched Batman clear the adjacent guardhouse.

" _Will you really? Well, that's gratitude, isn't it? Ha, women! You give 'em presents, experimental chemicals and nice costumes, and they still turn on you!_ " _They're a bit more complicated than that, Joker. Though frankly I'm not exactly perfect husband material, either._

 _Hey, c'mon, Oz. For one thing, Salem didn't really win any Mother of The Year awards. Or Wife of The Year. And besides, I know that you've had plenty of good families in other lifetimes._ Oscar's smirk turned to a gentle smile, showing his sincerity. Joker meanwhile continued his little show. " _Well, good luck to you, toots. I've got an army, a city-sized dose of Titan, and a bag of weed-killer. Come and find me when you're done with Batbrain and Ozzy junior. It'll be fun! You can bring the wine, I'll make the salad._ " Stronger rumblings followed his taunt; Ivy was clearly not amused. Which meant there wasn't any time to waste. Both heroes jumped down from their towers, Batman gliding with his cape and Sage swinging down thanks to his grapnel (though he was curious to find out if he could really fly). Batman took care of any pods on the upper parts of the stairway, waiting for the teen to join him, then led the way into the Gardens.

" _So you're here at last. Do you two like what I've done with the place?_ " Ivy's plants greeted them. They had been twisted the most by her powers; misshapen trees, roots and vines nearly blocked every part of the way in. It took some shuffling through a vent and climbing of some walls to maneuver around the vegetation. " _My babies are growing, Batman. Come and see._ " Back on the proper path, the Dark Knight drove his fist into another pod that made to attack Sage. " _Every plant either of you kill just makes me angrier!_ " Undeterred, the pair kept going, Sage splitting open yet another with a cane thrust. " _Stop it!_ " By the time they reached the botanical glasshouse, the plants had begun to grow even more. Unmoving thugs were sprawled across the floor. " _Are you hungry, my poor babies? Eat and grow strong._ " Just as one reached out with roots towards a goon, Oscar jumped in and drove them away before attacking the main part himself. " _Watch yourself, dear boy! I thought you knew to respect plants._ "

"Doesn't mean I'm going to just let them run wild." Sage said loud enough to be heard. "Every farmers knows that you have to keep a close watch on what you grow, and sometimes," he struck another pod further up the stairs, "you need to do a little trimming." The glasshouse shook angrily, but neither crime-fighter was intimidated. Batman simply pulled apart another pod blocking the door, making Ivy cry out in pain.

The flooded part of the next chamber still crackled with electricity, and with roots all over the vent they used before, there was no obvious way to get around the blocked hall. " _Are you ready for me?_ " The tree spoke to them. " _Do you think the two of you can handle me?_ " With a rumble, the rubble flew all over the place as a vine tore through it. It then retracted a bit, waving around almost like it was beckoning them. " _I'm waiting in here. Come to me!_ " Batman activated the Line Launcher and carried them across the pool, the vine slipping further back as they came closer. They then landed on solid ground and ran up the stairs after it. A bed of flowers in the shape of a path preceded them, red mist flowing about. " _What's keeping you strong men? No one can resist Poison Ivy._ "

Then as they rounded the corner, a pair of guards staggered towards them, the mist swirling around their heads and eyes glowing green. One of them was Officer North. " _I've got myself a little security, Batman. They'll just die if anything happens to me._ " They then ran fists raised at the heroes. Batman grabbed the hand of one and twisted him to the ground before giving him a light kick to the helmet. Sage meanwhile ducked under the swings of North before reluctantly pulling his head down and driving a knee against the chin. He then grabbed the staggered guard and threw him overhead to the bed of grass, knocking him out.

Checking with his goggles, Oscar breathed in relief upon seeing they were just unconscious. "What did Ivy do to them?"

"One of her favorite tricks," Batman explained as they continued. "She can emit pheromones mixed with certain spores that forces control over other humans. She's tried to turn me and influential people of Gotham into her puppets more than once. But a strong will can resist Ivy's influence and knocking the controlled ones unconscious is enough to get them back to normal." The Line Launcher took them over the ravine that led to where they had last spoken with the villain. Sage paused while checking his gear to look at one convict partially trapped within a plant, wincing at the sight. _Steady now, Oscar. I have a little secret I discovered over the millennia. Listen._ Ozpin told him with confidence.

Sage smiled. _Good to know._ They then walked through the open doorway to the overgrown room. Inside, Batman immediately went for the roots that were closest to the center. Nodding to his partner who nodded back, he pulled out the Anti-Venom and made to inject it, only for a vine to suddenly whip it out of his hand. "I won't let you destroy it, Batman." Oscar quickly retrieving the precious liquid, they turned to see Poison Ivy standing in front of the fountain.

"I told you to go to your cell." Batman snarled as Sage passed him the cure.

"I was a fool." Ivy ignored his warning. "I thought the plants were in pain. Now I realize they were evolving, growing stronger!" More vines burst from the ground, wrapping themselves around their master. Ivy rose, arms spread, into the air, glaring down at them as the plants encircled her. Then the entire floor was torn apart when something giant looking like the cross of an open flower and a flytrap rose. "And now we'll grow together!" She declared as she was attached to the plant's head, a clear membrane forming in front of her. Two tentacles then joined the main part and pierced the earth in front, thorny vines and sharp grass rising. " _I am stronger than you, little men!_ " Both quickly jumped away and Batman began hurling batarangs in rapid succession at the head. The membrane protected Ivy, but Sage could see a few tiny cracks forming via zooming of the goggles. He then joined in with his own disks, peppering her shield as they evaded the thorns and giant seeds shot from the tentacles' tips.

Then a much smaller flower bloomed in front of the boy, spraying red stuff right into his face. He staggered coughing away, having inhaled a good mouthful as Batman tried to run to him. But a wall of vines blocked the vigilante's path, Ivy laughing in triumph. " _That's the spirit, child._ " Her creature brought her closer, the membrane shifting away. " _Give in to a more powerful force._ "

"T-that is," Sage began before another bout of coughing, before with a green blur throwing a disk right at her face, making her reel back with a cry. His Aura shimmered a bit as he shook his head and finished, "almost never a good idea." _As I thought:_ Oz noted with satisfaction, _Aura provides some resistance against toxins, but as a bonus, it's quite difficult to control a man with two souls. If Ivy tries her little pheromone trick on one of us, the other can set us free._ The vines had shriveled away, letting Batman rush to him. A thumbs up was enough, and the two went back to dodging an incensed Ivy's onslaught. They went in different directions, striking her with projectiles as the plant controller unleashed her "children" against them. Every time she opened her shield to taunt them, one would use the opening to toss a batarang right at her, wounding her even more.

Finally, Ivy was wounded enough that her creation collapsed in front of them. Batman seized the opportunity and quickly sprayed Explosive Gel onto the membrane, the woman pleading, " _Stop!_ " But Batman just stepped back and detonated the stuff, making the plant writhe as it righted itself while she screamed in agony. But it didn't take long for her to rally, even though her defense was now severely cracked. " _I'll kill you for that!_ " Then the miniature jungle sprang up again, forcing them to roll this way and that. But the pair kept at it, tossing their weapons at the head at every chance they got. But it got more complicated when a couple of brainwashed guards and Joker's cronies were brought onto the battlefield. " _Save me from the evil Bat and that wretched boy!_ " Throwing them off wasn't enough, the vines would just bring them right back up. Batman and Sage carefully went about taking them down while dodging Ivy's other attacks. As the cycle went on, they changed tactics so that Batman would deal with any human adversaries while Oscar would continue to damage Ivy's protective membrane with his disks. " _My plants will tear you and your precious Gotham to shreds._ " It helped a bit that despite her controlling them, Ivy didn't bother sparing her puppets from her own assault.

Then one final batarang did the trick, making Ivy's ride fall to the floor in front of them. This time, Sage was closer, and he stepped onto the large leaf, drawing his Explosive Gel. But then the suddenly closed around him and rose back into the air, Ivy snarling at him. " _I don't know how you managed to resist my charm,_ " She spat while the farmhand barely managed to hang on, " _but you'll still make good meat for my children._ "

Forcing down his panic, Oscar put away his gel and instead extended the Long Memory, then held down on the lever. Despite the plant thrashing in every direction, the gears inside the ancient weapon continued to turn as golden light shone from the handle. Poison Ivy looked at it in confusion before, with a defiant yell, Sage pulled himself closer and rammed the tip into the membrane. An emerald barrier erupted around him, blowing the plant's head to pieces and blasting Ivy against the wall, green sparks still cracking around her. She didn't even have time to scream.

Oscar for his part hung in the air for a bit before gravity told hold, and then he fell. Luckily, Batman was ready to catch him with open arms. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned frown, to which the teen gave a tired smile back. He then got back onto his own two feet, at first a bit unsteady, but straightened up. They looked at the severely torn remains of the botanical construct, unconscious men surrounding them. "Well, I definitely that wasn't Oz just now." Oscar looked at him in mild surprise, the older man smirking amused. "He'd have made it less flashy."

The two shared a brief laugh at that. "Never knew I had a flair for the dramatic," Sage joked with a shrug ( _We can work on fully cultivating it later,_ Oz promised) as they swung over to where Ivy lay. They checked her vitals, noting she was still breathing, then he injected her with the Anti-Venom. Her veins flared green with the Titan, then slowly turned to, well, relative normal as she moaned. Batman then slapped a pair of special handcuffs onto her, then with an encouraging pat, led the way via grapnel to the top of the broken greenhouse.

From there, they glided back to a rocky outlook of Arkham North, fireworks going off nearby. "Joker?" Oscar asked flatly as they condensed into a smiley-face, then a downward arrow.

"Joker," Batman agreed in an equal tone. " _Dadadadada, Batman!_ " Joker sang through the intercom. " _Oh, and Junior. I know it's been a long, had night, but good news: The party's about to start!_ "

"Yippee." Sage mumbled while the fireworks made more smileys, a bat, and a gear. " _We've got something for everyone! Music, dancing, chemicals that create monsters and devices to make little brats squeal out the location of Ozzy, the Great and Terrible. You don't want to miss it. So get your asses over to Cell Block, or you'll miss your final surprise._ "

Shaking his head in exasperation, Batman looked to his friend. "Before we deal with Joker, let's finish up the other cases like Riddler. I don't like loose ends." With that, they swooped down and went to work finding the last of the trophies and solving any other riddles. All the while, Nigma grew even more agitated with their progress. Then as he looked inside a room that had three dead guards propped up to look like they were playing a card game, the cards and table covered in Zsasz' signature carvings, Oscar heard him growl, " _I'm losing patience. You are both cheating. You must be._ "

While Batman narrowed down where the broadcast was coming from and sending the GCPD the location, Sage and Ozpin decided on a taunt to distract him. "What's wrong, Mr. Nashton? You don't sound so sure of yourself anymore. But to be fair, I do have a little help. From an old friend of yours."

" _Really? I-I mean, of course. I'm not surprised. So who is your source? Who's been confounding my brilliant work?_ "

"Oh, come on. Where's the fun in telling you?" Oscar shared a sly look with Batman. "Consider it a riddle from us, while we solve the rest of yours." They then continued onto their quest while Riddler was -thankfully- silent. _Probably mulling over who your secret partner could be,_ Oz figured amused. The journey was a bit stranger than expected, given how when they went to check on the warden (Batman ominously said he had a hunch), he wasn't where they had left him. Instead, the floor was covered in the circular carving of those weird markings they kept finding all over the island. But this one had the word BATMAN carved all over in its center. When asked what it went, Batman said, "Looks like Oz and I aren't the only ones with secrets."

Moving on, the last of the riddles was found in the very spot where they had first entered the asylum; a cell surrounded with green-painted question marks. " _What?_ " Riddler barked in disbelief. " _You did it? You must have cheated. There is no way you could've beaten me. Who's been your backer?_ "

Oscar smiled, letting Ozpin take over for the last part. "Now, now, Edward. Your response is as predictable as it is banal."

" _Banal?! I'll show you ba- wait. Those were my words, the_ _exact_ _same words I said eight years ago! But how could a mere child know them? Ergh, it doesn't matter. You've both asked for it. My final challenge for the whole of Gotham is just seconds away-_ " That's when he finally noticed the sirens in the background. " _What?! Sirens… the police! You cheated, Batman! You and your little partner, too! You couldn't have outsmarted me!_ "

Oz just shook his head in honest disappointment. "Haven't we already discussed this, Edward? Intelligence alone means nothing if not properly used."

As banging could be heard in the background, Riddler seemed incredulous. " _O-Ozpin…_ _he_ _was there that night._ _He_ _said those words to me. Has that arrogant snob masquerading as an intellectual been helping you two?! TELL ME!_ "

" _Police! Open up!_ "

" _No- how-it can't_ " " _I said open the door now!_ " Something shattering and heavy footsteps could be heard. " _Down on the ground! Down on the ground!_ "

" _NO! Tell me!_ " Eddie screamed as shuffling grew louder and more frantic. " _How did you figure out where I was? Where have you been hiding all this time, Ozpin? I-it doesn't matter! Do you hear me? I, Edward Nigma, will…_ " Then his rant ended with a pained groan as the signal caught off into static.

"Truly a shame," Ozpin mused out loud as they walked out of the cell and towards the exit. "He certainly is an intelligent man, yet after all this time, these little games are everything he amounts to."

Batman just walked straight ahead. "Some psychoses are just like that. But one way or another, if he threatens others, I'll stop him." As Oscar's flared again, meaning he was back in control of his body, the two kept moving forward. "Now then, time to finish this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Next chapter shall be the conclusion of my little story, BUT it won't be the last chapter. I have a little bonus in store for all my loyal readers afterwards. This'll be a doozy!


	15. Chapter 14: Tonight's Final Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more games, no more distractions. Time to settle things and put Joker back behind bars. Something Batman, Oscar and Ozpin have all been looking forward to.

Bane, Scarecrow, Harley, Croc, Ivy, Riddler; they'd all been handled. Now the only threat left was probably the biggest one, hiding away in Cell Block. Fireworks continued popping in the sky and some kind of light-hearted song blared over the intercoms as the two heroes sprinted through Arkham West. On the way, Batman asked, "How are you holding up, Sage? Ozpin said that his magic was a finite resource."

"Yeah, I know," Oscar replied, showing him the Long Memory, "but that's where our cane helps. It's made of combination of special materials that can channel and amplify magic. Sure, Ozpin wasn't anywhere near the level of Ozma power-wise, and neither am I, but at least with this, we don't have to overdo it. Don't worry, Batman, Oz is telling me that I've still got enough left for a couple more tricks. Just no reality-warping stuff that'll put Joker into a padded cell."

"Alright, let me know if there are any problems." Batman then slowed as they approached the Visitor's Center, where the entrance was now completely covered by a giant picture of Joker's laughing face. _What a narcissist,_ Sage thought upon seeing it, then turned his attention to the four goons standing in front (one or two were wearing party hats). "Guest list only!" One holding a clipboard barked. "If your name's not on the list, you ain't going in." He traced his finger down the board, mumbling, "Let's see… A, no, that's not right. B… B. Bane… Ah! Here it is: Batman!" The thug proudly proclaimed, showing them the clipboard. "BATMAN" was scrawled in big red letters across it. "Hey, looks like you're the guest of honor. Sorry, kid, but this is an 18+ party. No last-minute changes or letting snot-nosed punks in, so scram!" Making a shooing motion with his hands, he then stepped to the entrance's side in a bow. "Give him a big welcome, guys!" They all started clapping and jeering like there really was a party going on.

Batman and Sage had been watching all of this with no expression. Finally, the teen turned to his older partner and asked, "You bored, too?" Grunting in agreement, Batman whirled and punched the nearest perp in the face. Oscar then intercepted another swinging a sign saying, "MONSTER SALE" at him with his cane, kicking out the knee of a third on his left a second later. As the Dark Knight broke the arm of the guy with the clipboard and leaped towards the one he'd sucker-punched earlier, Sage alternated hands between striking either of his opponents before clubbing them both down with a two-handed swing. As they stood in front of the door, they used Detective Mode to find sixteen more goons waiting in two straight lines.

"Long night," Batman muttered before opening the door and stepping inside, Oscar following him. The guys immediately began to applaud and yell all kinds of things at them, but not a single one made a threatening move, even when they walked through to the end of the hall. Batman glared at them for a moment, then turned to Sage, an unspoken question in his eyes. The boy already had an answer in mind but wanted confirmation from his mentor. _By all means,_ Ozpin encouraged him. _After all, we don't need Joker calling them in for reinforcements, now do we?_ With a little smile, Sage nodded, then walked right back to the start, spraying a dose of Explosive Gel in the center, and two more near the door. Batman did the same in his half, the thugs not doing anything to stop them while they did their little routine. One did however briefly scratch his head over their actions before shrugging and continuing with the clapping.

Then they all went sprawling as the payloads detonated with consecutive bangs. Only the crime-fighters were still standing, and they immediately got to work delivering finishing blows. Sage managed two and Batman took care of three more before the rest rallied. From there, it was a wild brawl for all party members. Batman lifted and hurled thugs at their buddies, then battered them until they stayed down. Oscar made use of him being shorter to dart around his enemies, lashing and jabbing with his cane wherever there was an opening. There were also plenty of opportunities for the pair to switch in the middle of the fight to trade dance partners. And the final criminal was kicked into the air by the Caped Crusader, only to be intercepted by the young warrior.

Dusting themselves off and checking their gear, they then went for the door that led to the visiting room. Just like the last times they had entered, the whole place was empty save for a person dressed like Joker, sitting behind security glass with a TV on its head. As they got as close as they could, the screen flickered to show Joker's face. " _Are you excited, Bats? And what about you, kiddo? I mean, we've been building up to this point all night. Don't tell me neither of you have been looking forward to it, I know I have!_ " And with a, " _Surprise!_ " the TV was yanked off to reveal Joker! Both immediately tensed, Batman already pulling back his fist, Joker stopped him with an, " _Ah, ah, ah, extra-reinforced. Heh,_ " he hefted the box still showing his grinning face next to his own head, " _everyone always said I should be in television._ "

"What, with that mug?" Sage retorted, rapping his cane against the glass. _Oscar, get ready._

The criminal faced them again. " _Watch it, Junior. You don't want to miss this. Really, it'll be a blast!_ " He then set the TV down on the chair and tapped on the top. The recording-Joker started counting down while Joker sauntered backwards out the door on the right. " _10, 9, 8, 7-6-5-4, 3, 2, 1!_ " The television went off and shattered the glass, but a verdant shield protected them from any shrapnel or residual force. Lowering his right hand and willing the field away, Oscar rubbed his ear with his left (it couldn't protect them from the sound) and said loudly, "See? Haven't run out yet."

"Then don't overdo it," Batman replied at the same volume and stepped through the remains. "But quick thinking." Sage followed him cautiously; broken glass was the least of his worries in this case. _Both of you be careful,_ Ozpin warned as they walked through the hallway. _When we confronted Joker for what we thought was the last time, he sicced Bane on us and tried to force Batman into a choice of killing one of the two. Even after_ _that_ _was resolved, he still didn't go quietly._ Sage frowned at the memories he was shown; then forcing Bane's heart to stop and then having to resuscitate him, the criminal desperately transforming himself into a hulking beast, all in the hopes of killing them, Joker laughing through all the beatdown Batman inflicted on him…

But one way or another, this was about to come to an end. They walked out into a bigger, sort-of rectangular room where junk was strewn across the floor and cells lay open. A strange mountain of mannequins and other pieces of trash was piled up towards the other end, Joker sitting on top of it all. As the pair approached, he played around with some big puppet Oscar could've sworn he'd seen earlier in the warden's office. "What didn't you stop Batman?" he yelled at it while Batman knocked out a guy coming from behind, not even breaking stride. "Me?" he pretended the doll say. "It was your plan, you goofy clown! Heck, you didn't even account for the runt with Oz' stick popping up!" Sage calmly tripped up the thug charging from the right and kicked his lights out, keeping his eyes on Joker. Two more tried sneaking up on them, but both backhanded them into unconsciousness without even looking. "Ah, just for mentioning Ozzy, I'm sending you back to the Ventriloquist where you belong!" Joker yelled, throwing the doll down his pedestal at their feet. Now that they were closer, Sage could see two guards infected with Titan on either side of the pile, snarling and lunging at them, but held back by chains around their necks. One got close enough and swiped at him, but he stepped out of reach, Batman keeping a hand on his shoulder. It retreated after a while.

"And you, Greenlee," Joker snarled, pointing down at him. "I had planned this whole shindig just for me and Bats. But leave it to Ozzy, that posh attention-stealer, to send his brat and throw a monkey-wrench into everything! Beating up Bane, feeding Scarecrow to Croc, making nice and then slapping around Harley -my hobby, by the way- and ruining all my lovely Venom plants." He kicked at his seat in frustration before facing them again. "So where IS the wiz-head? Behind what curtain has he been hiding? Trust me, boy, he and I will have a talk, even if I have to squeeze him out of you."

"Ozpin doesn't need to waste time on you because it's over, Joker." Batman answered while Oscar quietly mused the clown was closer than he thought. _I know, right?_

Then Joker flashed that grin again. "Over? Why, my dear, delusional Dark Knight, it hasn't even begun." He then pulled a lever that released the brutes from their chains. They then lumbered out of their cages while normal goons surrounded them. "And as for your pet leprechaun, I've got a little extra." Two things suddenly jumped down from the upper level, crushing a few of his cronies. Up close, they looked like a pair of twisted, giant dogs, their teeth longer and sharper than by most and spines piercing their flesh and fur. And they didn't just snarl, they let out what sounded like some kind of guttural, twisted laughter.

 _They're hyenas!_ Ozpin realized as they evaded one of them pouncing. "Meet Bud and Lou! Harley's little babies that are freshly grown up, courtesy of moi. Seeing as you managed to get so chummy with her, I thought it'd be fair for you to get to know them." The other hyena went straight for Sage, but he somersaulted over and jabbed at its spine, making it pitch to the floor. Landing on his feet, he nodded to Batman who had disabled two thugs and steered one brute into crashing into the wall. Nodding back, the Dark Knight fired his grapnel at the one still standing and pulled, making it charge into the second Titanized victim. From there, it was a crazed dance of avoiding the brutes and mutant canines while taking out those unchanged and jumping in. Sometimes, Batman and Sage would pull them down with their grapnels, neutralizing potential threats. As for the hyenas, they were faster than the human monsters and had stronger jaws but had less endurance. Anytime they smashed into something solid like a wall or one of the brutes, it took them longer to recover than the latter. And then it was just a matter of hitting them enough times. One even got used as a ride to run down the others and then got flipped headfirst into the ground, putting it down for the count.

Eventually, the threat level was reduced to one big musclehead, one hyena, and a handful of henchmen. Batman snapped the arm of one thug that got too close, then evaded the jump of the cackling beast, letting it run into a cell door. Sage used the goon he'd just kicked to the ground as a springboard to somersault towards it, striking the hyena like a wheel with his cane. As he landed, he made to finish it off, but a thug next to him grabbed the Long Memory and held tight. The young mage had to spin and kick him across the cheek to make him let go, wasting precious time. As he turned back to the hyena, it was already up and made one last pounce, its paw hitting his chest. Groaning in pain, Oscar kept its jaws at bay with his cane, but it was too heavy to kick off.

Luckily, Batman had seen what was going on and climbed onto the dazed brute, forcing it to tackle the hyena. As the heavy paw got off his ribs, Sage drew in a pained breath, then launched his grapnel at the beast, reeling himself in to deliver a two-foot kick to the mouth. Teeth flew as it collapsed with a weak yelp. He then fell to one knee, panting while his Aura flickered around him, and watched as Batman drove the brute's head hard into the concrete.

The Dark Knight briefly glanced at him in concern, but Oscar waved him off; no bones were broken, and his Aura was low, but still usable. Breathing a small sigh in relief, Batman then focused on Joker, who simply gave a little clap at the fight. "Nicely done, Bats! You even kept Junior alive! Looks like he's more fragile than Ozzy, but hey, he's still breathing. You deserve a prize. Your old pal, Commissioner Gordon!" Sure enough, Gordon swung in from the ceiling, a thick rope wrapped around him. From his pot in corner, Oscar could still worrying note he sported a few fresh bruises. "Say, he looks all run-down." Joker then brandished that dart-gun. "Let's pep him up."

Sage forced himself to stand, but he was too far away. Joker fired a dart at the commissioner, only for Batman to jump in the way with a, "No!" He fell to the floor with a grunt.

"Batman!" Gordon and Sage yelled as he pulled out the dart and started moaning, muscles in his arm already bulging. The boy moved closer to his friends, but the crime-fighter warned, "Get… away…" cracking the ground with a punch.

Joker giddily came right in front of him and took a closer look, excited as hell. "Oooh, here we go! We're going to have some fun now, kiddies!" Sage angrily made to attack him, but Oz stopped him with a, _Wait, look closer._ Batman was still hunched over, but as he raised his head, he was still human. _He's forcing down the transformation through sheer willpower,_ the wizard explained to his stunned successor. Joker came to the same conclusion. "You're trying to resist the change?! That's not fair!" He then kicked Batman hard in the chest before leaning in again. "Come on, give in!" Batman just socked him in the face. Stumbling away with a gurgle, the clown then walked back. "So, you wanna play hardball, Bats? Do ya?" He then brandished… a feather. "Your call!" He then actually made to tickle his nemesis with it.

At this point, Sage had had more than enough and punched him square across the jaw, making him spin around and drop the feather. "That joke's just cheap," he said while kneeling beside his partner. "Here." He then pulled out the spare dose of antidote, but then Joker regained his bearings.

"Oh, shut it, you little bastard! You're ruining my big night! Moths of planning down the crapper!" The clown ranted, smile completely gone. "Just like with Ozpin, always spouting off that garbage of rising above darker impulses, corrupting Bats and drawing attention away from me! I just wanted to bring down this guy's grim façade and for once let him see the world as I see it, giggling in a corner and bleeding. But you've denied me even that. Thanks for nothing, kid." That's when he showed he was still holding the dart-gun. Joker first aimed it at Oscar, prompting Batman to strain into getting up, "I have nothing to live for," then turned it around and shot himself in the neck. He then fell backwards, and as all three men looked at him, his Titan-laced eyes flared open with a gasp.

* * *

News helicopters circled all over Arkham Island, flashing their spotlights at any activity. "Arkham Asylum remains under lockdown, its staff at the mercy of the rampaging inmates," One airborne viewer reported. "Just ten minutes ago, we received this taped message."

" _Grrreetings, Gotham!_ " Joker's voice rang out. " _Joker here. Arkham is mine. Soon, I'll unleash madness untold onto the streets of Gotham. But first, direct your eyes to the rooftops and witness the final destruction of your dear Dark Knight._ "

"We've been circling the tower since- Wait! There! The Joker is making his move!" Out near one of the larger roofs, a clawed white hand reached out and pulled up the rest of the deformed, Titanized Joker. Only his shredded pants were left as veins pulsed green underneath his patch-covered skin. Bones stuck out from his forearms, back and ribcage while his hair somehow was now a mohawk. Panting, his other claw pulled up the struggling Batman.

Joker first glanced up at the copter, then leered at his captive. "Showtime, Batman!" He then tossed the vigilante into a makeshift ring, the floor painted to show his laughing face. "Let's give the rubes something to talk about. Two freaks in a fight to the death!" He jumped with a cackle into the ring himself as Batman tried to stand and kicked his enemy in the face, making him skid further away. "And for one night only," The monster raised a bony claw, "please welcome our special guest referee!" and pointed at Commissioner Gordon, strapping in an electric chair. He roared in pain as it briefly activated. The stage was set, for better or worse. But Oscar was nowhere to be seen. Joker grabbed Batman and hoisted him up to eye level. "So… come on! Change. Get crazy. It's the only way to beat me." He then pulled him in closer. "You know you want to."

But Batman glared back, snarling, "Never!" and pulled out the injector Sage had passed him earlier, jamming it into his chest.

"You wasted the antidote on yourself?" Joker laughingly threw him against the nearest wall, the shoddily wired metal shocking him as he connected with it. "Now that's funny!" He then launched his heavy body at the still-recovering Batman, intending to crush him.

But a cable shot at a beam above him, and something green struck him upside his elongated chin with a black cane. Caught off guard, Joker bounced against the wall and received his own shock while Batman rolled away from him. Red combat boots landed next to him, and a pair of orange gloves helped him up. "Sorry it took me so long getting up here," Sage quietly said, a hard line set on his face. "Getting those mannequins off me wasn't hard, but even with the grapnel, I had to improvise." Batman gave him an impressed nod, then both turned back to Joker who'd just righted himself. "You know," Sage said loudly, cane at the ready, as his mind flashed back to a certain memory, "Bane still looked more handsome than you."

Joker actually laughed at that. "Not too shabby, kiddo!" He then drew to his full height, voice dripping with malice. "But you still spoiled my fun. And for that, I'll paint Arkham with both your bloods." The Joker stalked closer and spread his claws. "And afterwards, I'll track down Ozzy somehow and throw your corpses at his feet. Right before I strangle him with his own intestines!" He then swung at them, but they twisted out of the way and kept their distance. "Let's get rrreadyyy to tango!" Joker kept swinging his sharp fingers, but even without Oz advising him, Oscar could tell there wasn't any strategy to it. "I'll rip you two apart, for all Gotham to see!" The misshapen lunatic was just lumbering around in the hopes one of his blows would hit something.

After a while, he got bored. "Excuse me, Bats'n'Green," With a single bound, he was back up on the ring's wall. "In you come, boys. I've softened them up for you." Goons quickly jumped over the railings and attacked them. Sage batted away the arms of one and spun him into the electric walls, shocking the fight out of him, then whirled him around into another while Batman kicked out a third. "Look out!" Joker giggled, tossing some things into the air. As they landed onto the ground, they turned out to be either cardboard presents or explosives strapped to toys. The heroes carefully maneuvered around the latter while dealing with their enemies. "So, Mr. Referee, how was that round for you? What? Speak up!" Gordon's chair fired up again, much to Joker's delight. Anger flared up in Oscar as he brought the Long Memory down hard on the elbow of a thug, breaking it. _Keep a clear head, Oscar,_ Ozpin encouraged him. _Take your time and watch. When Joker's this cocky, he's bound to make a mistake._ Sure enough, the clown posed and threw in some more goodies, then looked away with a, "Say, is that Jack Ryder's chopper I see?" He then started flaunting at them.

Batman wasted no time in striking down the last thug and launching all three of his grapnels at Joker's back. "Get. Off. Me!" he grunted as Sage rushed to help in the pulling. Together, they tugged him down to the ring, Joker twisting in midair to land face-first, his claws now stuck in the wood. Struggling, he yelled, "When I get out of this, I'll rip your freaking heads off!" But neither hero paid attention, instead pummeling him with attacks until an uppercut from Batman knocked him free. Somehow, he managed to stay upright and went back to attacking him. "Gimme your best shot, kiddies!" Then it was the same dodging routine as before, until Joker jumped back up to his spot outside and sent in his lackeys. "Give 'em a kicking for me, boys! I'm bored of them." Whatever thugs he let into his crew definitely weren't going to be rocket scientists later on, because they used the same old attacks against the pair. But neither one was at their best after a whole night of fighting these guys, and with Joker randomly throwing his little goodies in the ring, things were getting heated.

 _Oscar, your Aura is practically gone by now. We have to finish this now._ Not seeing any room for an argument, the boy consented and let Ozpin take over. Between knocking down Joker's men with his cane, he hurriedly explained the plan to Batman. It was a risky one, but there weren't many other options. So the young wizard battered one into the electrified walls, the Caped Crusader spun another into the ground before delivering an overhead smash, and they waited for that moment again. Joker finally turned around towards the choppers and started posing. "I'll give you something for the morning news, Gotham!"

"Now." Batman said, launching his Batclaw at the villain's back and pulling him off-balance. "This won't stop me!" Joker roared, straining against the ropes. But this time, instead of helping his friend drag him down, Ozpin braced his legs and waited. When Joker finally stumbled backwards over the edge, he ran and jumped onto Batman's crouching back and with the last reserves of his Aura, leaped off over the mutant freak. Joker was too stunned to realize what was going on, and the Long Memory's gears surged with golden light. At the height of his jump, Oz spun around and jabbed his weapon downwards, the black tip ramming into Joker's stomach and green lightning crackling around it. Coughing out Titan-laced blood while a nasty crack could be heard, Joker smashed downwards through the floorboards, where the poor wiring of the arena shocked him multiple times.

And for his last trick, Ozpin used the recoil from his attack to flip through the air until he did a three-point landing next to Gordon's chair. The one thug who had been watching him made to draw a knife, but the Long Memory swooped in, broke his wrist, and knocked out some of his teeth in two clean swings. Panting from the exertion, Ozpin walked to the commissioner and undid his straps. "Anything broken, James?" he asked.

"Just a few fresh bruises, nothing much." His old friend assured him, rubbing his wrists. "Heh, you're a lot like Oz: you both look harmless but turn into wild badasses when nobody expects it." They shared a laugh at that; _you going to tell him, Oz?_ Oscar asked, his tone laced with relief.

 _No, at least not right now,_ the wizard answered with a tinge of regret. _The poor man's been through enough excitement, and the night isn't over yet._ He closed his eyes so Gordon couldn't see their glow, and Oscar was back, wincing. "I'll be feeling that one tomorrow," he muttered, rolling his shoulder, but then they heard laughter from below.

The Joker forced himself out of the hole, green blood dripping from his mouth and steam wafting off him. But he was still smiling. "I can take it. I can take anything you or that little green runt can throw at me, Bats." As he pulled himself completely out, Batman calmly turned away to do something with his right gauntlet; Oscar couldn't make it out. "You can't beat me. He can't beat me. Ozzy couldn't beat me if he were here. I'm actually going to win." He started rising, claws outstretched. "Ready for the next round?!"

"Always," Batman replied, no trace of fear in his voice and, as the boy could now see, a fresh coating of Explosive Gel on his knuckles. _Hey, Oz._ Sage thought. _How about one last magic trick tonight?_ His mentor agreed, and he held out his right hand, concentrating.

"What?!" Joker exclaimed as a green aura rose around Batman's body, light sparks crackling around it. But this wasn't the sickly green of Joker Toxin or the Titan compound; this energy shined the emerald of healthy plants and life.

Batman gave a subtle nod to Sage before addressing his archenemy again. "I'll never let you win." He then ran forward and drew back his right fist, Joker crouching over him. "Never!" The Dark Knight's punch connected full force with his teeth, the gel detonating and the aura channeling every bit of power from the explosion into the clown's face. Joker flew back to the ground, the fight completely out of him, while Batman stumbled back a bit, but Ozma's magic shielded him from the worst of the damage. Gotham's protector stood proudly like a champion in the ring, his allies giving him a round of applause.

* * *

Later, Oscar gently helped the commissioner down to safe ground in a nearby office where Batman met them. He had already slapped some extra-sized cuffs onto joker and bound to an electrified wall that would shock him if he tried moving. But the clown was still completely unconscious. Gordon brightened and clasped the crime-fighter's open hand. "Just another night in Gotham, huh?" he joked.

Batman just nodded. "Joker won't be going anywhere this time, and the rest of the criminals on the island are either incapacitated, one of the more volatile patients, or have lost the will to fight." He then smiled down at their newest partner. "Thanks for the help. You did a lot of good tonight."

"Eh, I'm sure you would've been able to stop him even without help," Oscar answered with a shrug, humble and sincere at the same time. Both men then gave him weird looks. "What, is there something on my-" he trailed off as he looked down; specks of golden energy were slowly drifting around the boy's body. He didn't feel any pain, just a sense of… familiarity.

Gordon stared wide-eyed at the display, but Batman remained calm. "I've seen this before… eight years ago. Just before Oz and I exchanged goodbyes."

 _He's right, Oscar. Right after we left Blackgate, this magic rose around me, and soon enough, I was back in my office at Beacon._ Ozpin sounded both happy and sad, feelings Oscar shared. _But at least I had a chance to say goodbye then. Best not waste what time you have left, my boy._ Nodding subtly at the advice, Sage smiled sheepishly at them. "Guess I'll be going home now. But it really was great meeting all of you."

Jim still looked a bit confused, but he grinned right back. "Yeesh, Oz has competition in the mystery department compared to you, but you both are decent guys." He shook hands with him. "How's he doing, by the way? I almost forgot to ask with all the craziness going on."

"He's… doing great. Oz has had a rough time for a while, but he's in a lot better spirits now. Oh, and he wants me to congratulate you for becoming Commissioner, says you were just wasted as a detective captain."

Gordon seemed puzzled but laughed all the same. "It took me a while to get there, but yeah, it was worth the effort. Someone's gotta keep the city in one peace." He then scratched his head. "But… how exactly are you connected to Oz? You his student or son or something?"

"I'll tell you later." Batman promised his friend. The golden light was growing stronger; they could still make out the teen's features, but they were getting blurry. Meanwhile, Barbara chimed in, a sad smile evident in her voice. " _Take care of each other, okay? And thanks so much for saving my dad again, I owe you big time. And don't give up on Remnant. You guys got this, I'd bet every last piece of my equipment._ "

Oscar almost started crying at her words but kept his smile. "Thanks, Oracle. You're the best support a crime-fighter could ask for." Her laugh echoing in his ears, he then turned to the man who had been a trusted ally and friend to both of them. "Thanks for watching my back out there, Batman. And for… picking us up again when we'd fallen." He offered his hand with the biggest smile he could offer.

Bruce returned his smile and shook his hand as a friend. "You both have done a lot of good in your lives, and not just here in Arkham. I know you have a lot of hardship ahead of you, Sage but don't let it crush you. I'm pretty sure that when you succeed, it'll be worth everything you and Oz had to go through. And if you need my help, I'll find a way."

"Now that, I can believe." Sage said with a chuckle; the light now completely covered him. "And maybe we can see each other again, just under… better circumstances." And with a melodic chime, the golden aura flared up, and he was gone. No trace left.

Gordon stared at the spot where the young hero had been standing, then turned with a smirk to his ally. "So…?"

Batman was already leading the way to back outside. "We still have work to do, and it's a long story. But believe it or not, it starts a very long time ago, in a world that was once abundant in wonder and magic…"

* * *

Oscar blinked, and the asylum was gone. Instead, he was standing back inside that same shack outside of Mantle. "Whoa…" he mumbled, collapsing onto a chair from some dizziness.

 _Easy does it, Oscar. Deep breaths._ Oz' voice was gentle as ever, letting him sort his thoughts. _I went through the exact same experience you did, although… Oh. Take a look at the clock._

Panic flared up in the boy's stomach. "Oh, right, we spent a whole night chasing Joker, who knows how much time was spent just from going to Gotham and bac-" he then stopped and gaped at what the clock read. It was still ticking, and the day and year was exactly the same as this morning, only… "Five minutes?! Only five minutes have passed on Remnant?!"

_Incredible. When I returned to Remnant eight years ago, there was a difference of_ _ ten _ _minutes between my arrival and departure. Whoever performed this spell has apparently fine control over time itself._

"Yeah," Oscar breathed while his mind raced to process all of this. But after looking at just how little time had passed, and judging how his body didn't feel the least bit sore even after everything that had happened (Maybe a side effect of the spell was returning him to full strength); could Arkham Asylum, Joker, and Batman all just have been one insane dream? Maybe he had just passed out and cobbled together the experience from Oz' memories…

 _I don't think so, Oscar. Take another look at yourself._ He did as instructed, patting down his jacket, his pants, his belt- the utility belt Batman had given him! It was still around his waist, fully stocked with all the gadgets Sage had used against Joker and his thugs. Reaching for his neck, Oscar felt the goggles there too, and as he slid them over his eyes, Detective Mode activated, just with a lighter blue reminiscent of Atlas' technology. _Well, I honestly didn't expect this, but the goggles seem to now have complete connection to Atlas' network and online information._

"Well, that could come in handy," Oscar pulled them back down, examining a disk and the gears engraved into it. So it was all real, every last detail. His thoughts drifted to all of the people and sights he had seen, everything he had experienced in Gotham. Officers McQueen and Richards; warden Sharpe and his guards Cash and Boles, who couldn't be more polar opposites; Bane with his Venom and Croc bursting from the waters; Ivy unleashing botanic destruction and Scarecrow's nightmares; Riddler egging them into playing his stupid games; Harley ever loyal to the Joker, the most sadistic and insane monster he had ever seen; Jim and Barbara Gordon, both of whom fought for the law in their own ways; and Batman, someone who had stood by his side the whole time and against every single threat the night threw at them. A man with no Aura or Semblance, but some customized tools, his wits and enough willpower to face an entire island with no fear.

Ozpin definitely shared his admiration. _You know, I have lived countless lives, met numerous people, but I only knew a handful of whose spirits rivalled Bruce's._

"No kidding." Oscar slowly walked out the door and looked up towards the darkening sky; not much had changed, from the looks of it. Detective Mode even showed individual Grimm circling around the larger mass and their classes (winged Beringels, Teyrx, Nevermores, etc.) He then remembered one particular scene: the last nightmare of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin. Remnant torn apart and crushed underfoot by the Grimm, his friends helpless at Salem's nonexistent mercy, Salem herself planning on spreading her reach to other worlds…

Oscar's fists clenched hard at the images when he suddenly noticed a light bulge in one of his coat pockets. Confused, he reached in and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. There were only a few words in the center, written in bold cursive but instantly readable:

_**O. DON'T LOSE HOPE. BE STRONG.** _

Smiling at the simple message, he wondered where it could've come from before his mind flashed to when he'd helped Bruce up in the Cell Block. "Say, Oz," he said, eyes narrowing at the taller buildings of Mantle close by, "what was it that Batman said to Joker before beating him, again?"

 _If I remember correctly, his exact words were, "I'll never let you win."_ Sage nodded and refolded the paper, tucking it into a spare pouch, then drew his grapnel gun and fired at the nearest rooftop.

"Short, simple, and words to live by." With that, Oscar Pine drew himself up towards the city. He and Ozpin still had a mission to complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand the winner is… Batman! Now, before any of you object, I'll say that I had this scene in mind since I first started writing this fic. In my eyes, Joker is Batman's archenemy, not Oscar's, and not Ozpin's. So it's only fitting he strikes the final blow. But of course, Sage gets some very good hits in and lends a helping hand. But yeah, this was fun to visualize. And write! And sorry to those who would've wanted Sage to stay, but he and Oz still have unfinished business on Remnant. I had always intended to send them back.


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after they've returned to Remnant, Batman still gets a helping hand from his old teacher and his newest student.

_One year later…_

Batman moved as quickly through the underground tunnels beneath Arkham City as he could in his current state. Finding the secret entrance through Wonder City had cost him precious time, and he could only hope that the trail led to what he needed. Thousands of thoughts were going through his head at the moment; Strange's plans, Joker and his damn blood, the fragile alliance with Mister Freeze, Ra's Al Ghul… and Talia. Of course, his path led back to her. He released a bitter sigh, knowing that however this would play out, it wasn't going to end peacefully. He knew he had more to worry about than her feelings, but- "Damnit," the vigilante muttered as his train of thought came back to that woman. "I wonder how Ozpin dealt with this kind of problem."

One way or another, Oz wasn't here, and thousands of lives in Gotham were in danger. No time to ruminate on regrets, past or future. The tracker's signal led to the right, up a ladder. Batman rapidly climbed the rungs and pushed aside the cover, but then his head started pounding and a wave of pain coursed through his body. _Damnit, not now…_ Joker's poisoned blood was burning him out, no doubt not helped by his previous battles with Penguin's gang, Grundy and the League's assassins. Bruce grit his teeth together, trying to force it down, but the effects were much stronger this time. It took everything he had just to pull himself out of the manhole, and then he just collapsed in front of a closed metal gate. Every breath he took was a battle at this point.

Then the gate slowly opened with a light screeching, releasing light into the area. There was something almost pleasing, as if some of kind music was playing in his head, but he doubted it was real. Just another side-effect of the poison- "Bruce…" That voice made him force his head up as he looked towards the entrance. Two people were standing just outside it, a man and a woman. Even with all the light masking their features, he could at least make out the well-tailored suit and the fashionable dress, the pearl necklace glittering around the woman's neck… "you can hear me, can't you?" The woman spoke again.

"You need to step into the light." She cupped her hands together and beckoned for him to come, the man placing an arm around her. "Your father and I are waiting. We've missed you so much." A small part of Batman's mind, the rational part was saying this wasn't real, just a conjuring of his mind, but it was nearly completely suppressed by the rest of him. _Mom… Dad…_ "You have to do it. We need you to do it, Bruce." It would be so easy to join them. He'd wanted to be with them for so long now. He tentatively reached his hand for them…

And then Bruce then felt himself gently pulled to his feet. "Easy does it, old friend," a familiar voice said to his left. "I know how tempting it can be, but this isn't your time." Two sets of arms helped steady him, one that of a grown man's, the other belonging to a boy in his teens. Green light was in the background now, perhaps… coming from his own body? He somehow felt stronger again too, like something was forcing down the poison's affect.

A younger voice from the right called out to the pair by the gate. "We're sorry, but could you wait just a little longer? We really don't want to ask this of you, but Gotham still needs him."

Even from this distance, Bruce could've sworn the woman had a sad smile on her face. "We understand. Thank you, both of you, for watching over him." The lights started fading away, and a pang of regret went through his heart, but one hand clasped his shoulder, the other squeezed his right hand. "We're so proud of you, Bruce…"

Then it was all gone, just an open gate leading to another part of and a new voice was ringing in his ears. " _Bruce? Bruce, can you hear me?!_ " Oracle called out, making him lower the volume in his cowl. " _I don't know what the hell's going on here. Your vitals… they were dropping, it's like they were in freefall. But one second later, poof! They're climbing back to, well, better levels. And it's stable for now, but there's no telling how long that'll last. You need to find whatever you're looking for_ _now_ _._ "

Batman had been processing this information along with what he had just seen; the light, those people by the gate, the ones that had helped him up just now… A little smile played across his face as he started walking again. _And to think there was a time where I didn't believe in magic._ His steps were stronger and at least the fire in his lungs were out, but the Dark Knight knew he was far from peak shape. He activated his comm to reassure his friend and ask a very important question. "How long have I got?"

" _Oh, thank God, I thought my systems were malfunctioning,_ " Barbara breathed before taking a more professional tone. " _You're looking good right now, but I'm not going to sugarcoat it. At the previous rate, I'd have said minutes, now, maybe an hour or so? Seriously, Bruce, you need to tell me what you want me to do and what's going on here. What do I get Robin to do? You know, if you don't…_ " She didn't dare finish.

"I'll make it," Batman assured her. "As for what just happened, I think I just got a little help from a very old friend of ours." He then shut off the communications and continued forward; he couldn't elaborate right now, whatever Ozpin's power had done, it was probably only a temporary thing. He was already coughing again. No time to waste if Gotham had any hope of surviving. So Batman continued to walk towards the entrance to The Demon's Lair when he heard two people silently landing behind him. No way they were thugs of Joker or Penguin, too good at being quiet. _Here we go,_ he thought as they drew their swords and a familiar shrouded face appeared in front of him, weapon drawn.

* * *

_Nine months later…_

Back outside in the rain, Batman's gauntlet chimed. He activated the screen function to see Oracle's frustrated face. " _You left Tim in a cell._ "

"He wasn't safe-"

" _And he is now?!_ " Barbara angrily cut him off. " _He'd take a bullet for you, Bruce! We all would. But you left him defenseless. You didn't even give him a choice. What will it take for you to trust us? You know where keeping secrets got Oz-_ " then she made an effort to calm down. They both knew this wasn't the time to get emotional. " _I'm sorry, Bruce. But you have to get him back, whatever it takes._ " With that, the gauntlet returned to base form, and the now all-too-familiar hallucination of Joker that had been leaning against a container decided to speak up. "So, it's decision time, Bats. Give yourself up to Scarecrow and get us both killed? Or is it time for the new dynamic duo to hit the streets?" He was looking much healthier now.

Batman turned away in thought, then called his oldest ally. "Alfred, I'm going to give myself in to Scarecrow. It's the only way to save Robin and Jim." He explained as he walked further down the path.

" _Consider your decision wisely, sir._ " Alfred cautioned. " _There could be no coming back from this._ " The Caped Crusader knew he had a point, but he couldn't see another way. He grappled up and launched himself into gliding above Gotham. Radio intercepted chatter from different crooks running around on the streets below. As he briefly landed on a tower in the Cauldron, Joker was waiting. "Still going after the commish? Honestly, Bruce. First he punches you, then he betrays you, then he goes ahead and shoots you! And this time, there's no Ozzy around to smooth things over. I've gotta say, though, I'm actually starting to warm to dear old Jimbo. Shame he's probably dead." Batman angrily ignored him and glided down to the street, where the Batmobile drove him further along until he was in Kingston. Exiting his ride, he walked towards the door that would lead him to Crane. And once again, that damn clown was there, in front of the door. "What, are you crazy?! You give up, and we're done. Both of us! There's no coming back. Unless you're hoping to pull off that reincarnation schtick like Ozzy. Hate to tell you, Bats, but that's a one-in-a-million deal, and in my case, I kinda had to cheat."

At least he hadn't noticed the sharp bat painted in red on the nearby wall. _That's one piece of the puzzle,_ Bruce thought quietly, hoping that this mind-Joker still couldn't read his thoughts. But he was getting stronger; all Batman could do was gamble on a theory he'd been having since Arkham City. But one way or another, all he could do was carry on… and trust.

* * *

_CRACK_

Before he knew it, Joker's lifeless body collapsed onto the truck they were now back in. Batman stared down at his hands, clenching them in disgust, then at the corpse. Then it slowly pushed itself up, and Joker's voice echoed in the metal space. "So you finally lost it, huh? Finally snapped. My neck." Joker turned around to face him with a triumphant grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "No Ozzy to help hit the reset button. No denying it this time. You've got the mind of a killer. And that mind is mine. It's over, Bruce. You crossed the blood-red line." He then pulled out a spray can and painted a bright green smile on the wall. Then Joker spread his arms. "And now Scarecrow's going to set me free."

But Batman didn't despair. For in his glee, Joker hadn't noticed that when he painted that smile, hidden in the right eye, only visible with Detective Vision, was an emerald gear encompassing an even smaller one. He forced himself not to smile, even as he could hear a familiar voice whisper in his head, "We're almost ready." Instead, Batman focused on the rest of the truck ride, noting how the route would take them straight to Arkham Asylum. _How appropriate._

* * *

Joker was having the time of his life, right now. Sure, this was all just one big illusion of him squashing Croc flat, then playing around with his brand-spankin'-new Jokemobile, and blowing snivelling Cobblepot's brains and twee Eddie's guts out, but hey! It gave him a couple of ideas for the real world. Leaving the money-encrusted shrine that little birdbrain had made for himself (but pausing to blast apart the gramophone on the table, music was too sad for tonight), he then booted open the next door to see Two-Face wounded, but still standing and still waving a gun around. "I can't let you leave here alive," he growled. "Not after what you've just done."

Joker just laughed at that. "I'm the comeback king! The clown prince of chaos! The jester of genocide! You can't stop me!" Harv pulled up his pistol, but too slow, as a shotgun round to his chest proved. Then came that silly burbling in his ear again, but it didn't seem important.

Just as he went to open the exit door, a hand went around his ankle. "Stop…" Joker looked down. Oh, Two-Face was now Gordon, lovely little trick there! The clown kicked his leg free. "Stop this madness…Pleas-"But Joker knelt down and shushed him with a finger. Another second, and the old coot was up in birdie heaven. Or maybe bridie hell, who knows?

Once the door was open, the most beautiful sight greeted him: Gotham slowly burning down, burning down, my fair lady! Explosions rang out everywhere as Joker hopped over the railing and took a closer look, exhaling a sigh of content. "This may be my finest work yet."

But of course, somebody had to spoil the fun. " _Please, listen to me! After all the good you've done for this city._ " Joker just looked at the GCPD building behind hm, barely registering the old man's whining. " _Think about what you're doing. Sir, I'm begging you- Master Bruce. Batman, you have to listen! Think of your teacher, Ozpin. Think of your family, Bruce, your father! What would either man say if he saw you like this? Please, please stop this rampage-_ "

"Oh, Alfred," Joker interrupted, finger to his comm. "sweet, loyal Alfred. Master Bruce is gone, just like Ozpin. And if he knows what's good for that bastard brat he's hijacked, that green twit will stay out of my way." He chuckled sinisterly. "Who knows, I might even take a look at whether or not I can go to Remnant, see if his ex is in the mood for a partnership. But don't you worry, your new master's coming home."

A little giggle as he briefly flashed back to the real world. "Do you know what happens now, Mr. Wayne?" Oh right, he was still strapped down, and ol' Plain-Crane still thought he was talking to Bats. Eh, out of gratitude, he could let the guy monologue a bit. "I'm not going to kill you… I'm going to set you free." Scarecrow was now back in front of him. "Free to see the city you swore to defend tear itself apart. Free to see everyone you love hunted down and killed. Every scream, every death, vengeance for all the Batman has done." He was now gripping Joker by the chin.

Not that Joker minded. "Good." This was going to be fun.

"What?" Crane jerked back, surprised. "Do you not understand? It is over!"

"Get ready for the encore." Joker agreed, laughing from the very bottom of his lungs. Oh, how he was going to enjoy stuffing Johnny-boy with straw and setting him on fire.

"Why. Aren't you. Scared?!" Oh, yeah, he was still strapped down, so he couldn't stop Plain-Crane from giving him another round of Fear Toxin. Oh, well, more fun for later, as he continued laughing through the chemicals coursing him.

And just like that, Joker was back in burning Gotham. But he didn't feel any different. "Oh, huh. Guess I'm toxin-proof." He then called out, "Hey, Bats! Ya still here?" But then the sky turned pitch-black, and all the flames slowly turned green, flaring up before the darkness took hold of the buildings. "Bats? Is that you?" Joker called again; he could hear footsteps from in front. By now, the only light was coming from a streetlight and a little fire nearby, both of which were now bright green. Eh, green was his favorite color. "Oh, Baaats?" Joker held his gun at the ready. Then something tapped his shoulder.

The clown jumped and whirled around to aim at- "Junior?!" Joker then howled with laughter, nearly doubling over in front of the emerald-clad teen leaning on his fancy stick. "Oh-ohoho," he got out as he slowly calmed down, "it's just you. For a sec, I thought Bats or Ozzy would've shown up. But why don't you run along now, lil' Pine-head?" He then aimed at the boy's head. "I'm looking to have a talk with the adults."

"Not a problem, Joker." The boy was completely calm, a taunting smile growing onto his face. "In fact, we've set up a little event for you." Then like lightning, his gloved hands grabbed hold of Joker's shoulders just as something descended from the streetlight. Then everything went dark.

Shaking himself free, Joker flicked the switch for his gun's light; he was now in some kind of lightly green tunnel, staring at a painting of Bats carrying his old, dead body. "Ah, good times." He joked before turning around to see a guy in specs and blue overalls shove a handsome-looking corpse into an oven as he stepped closer. The four-eyed dude slammed the hatch shut before Joker shot him. "Ohoh, crispy." A green flash, and he was gone. "Eh, I outgrew that body anyway!" He then followed a trail of candles out into some graveyard. "Trying to tell me something, Bats'n'Green? I'm not dead! I've never been so aliiiive!" He giggled, shooting random tombstones.

"That will change." Joker jerked his head at what he thought was Ozzy's voice, but there was no one. He slowly (not cautiously) followed the path until he stood in front of a poorly-kept statue. "Oh, wait a minute," he mumbled. A statue that looked just like him, he noted, right before the head fell off and rolled to a stop in front of him. "This-this isn't my grave! Oh, no, no, no. It's too small! It's all overgrown! Where's the head?! It's- oh right, I get it. They forgot about me. Very funny, guys! But it's not gonna happen." He turned around to see the graveyard was gone, replaced by a path that led off somewhere. Now at a slower pace, he kept moving, gun trained ahead. "Y'know, some jokes can be in bad taste!"

"Yeah, you've proved that at least a hundred times by now," that brat snidely said, leaning against an arch. And as Joker found to his rising frustration, immune to shotgun shells. "But you know the most pathetic joke right now?" Joker marched on, trying to ignore him. "Thinking you'd be remembered."

"Indeed." And now Ozzy was standing, hands on cane, in front of two different paths (and also unaffected by gunshots. Goody gumdrops). "You've caused unspeakable terror time and time again through your life. Gotham feared and hated you, Joker." Joker just took the path on the left past the blabbermouth. "There'd be no reason for anyone to keep you in their memories."

The route led to a dead end, unimpressed with that old coot's lecture and turning back around. "Yeah, yeah, tell that to- Bats?!" He stumbled back from the Batman statue in front of him. Where the heck did that come from, he could practically hear a scare-chord in his head! The villain then shook himself and blasted it to pebbles. Behind it, he could see a light and chuckled, more relieved than he'd care to admit. "See, old boys? Y-you aren't the death of me." He strode closer to the light but was perplexed at the roses strewn on the ground. Joker now found himself inside a tiny chapel, empty seats everywhere. And someone up ahead was sobbing. Normally, Joker would like that sound, but as he drew closer, past the rows of vacant places, each with a little card saying, "IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE JOKER", it turned out to be- "Harley?" His sometimes-favorite henchman was stooped over, crying on top of a wreath. "You call this a wake? Where is everybody?! Forgot to send the invites, didn't you?" But she didn't seem to hear him. "Haaarley, stop your sobbing, and rustle me up a wake! HARLEY! HARLEY!" No use, Harley didn't stop bawling her eyes out, and Joker just huffed and looked up again. No messages of remembrance, either, and the wreath just looked shoddy up close. "I know what you're trying to do, Bats! You and your toxin and your magic buddies! You think this scares me?!" He bellowed, blowing apart the pinhead-statue that popped up in front of him. He then cleared a chair-free path to the exit on the right, sick and tired of this game. This-this was all just a little game that jackass Ozzy had cooked up, it-it couldn't stop him.

But no matter where he went, the stupid show wouldn't end. Now Joker was in some square apartment with no taste for interior decorating. The newspapers read out garbage like, "JOKER DIES GOTHAM DOESN'T CARE," and "HARLEY AND RIDDLER EXPECTING FIRST CHILD" ( _Pssah, yeah right!_ ) and the radio did some weird interview. " _Welcome to Good Evening Gotham with me, Vicki Vale._ "

" _And me, Glen Woodburn._ " Now the entrance was gone, too. He was trapped. Maybe.

" _So, Glen, today marks the one-year anniversary of the Joker's death. Any thoughts on the occasion?_ "

" _Sorry, who?_ " Joker flinched at that. What did he just say?!

" _The Joker, you remember?_ "

" _The question mark guy, he's dead?_ " _Oh, come on, seriously?_

" _No, not him._ " _But he might be if I ever get out into the real world._

" _Sorry, Vic, you gotta help me out._ "

That bitch just laughed. " _You know what? It doesn't matter. Let's forget about him and move on._ "

" _Yes, let's forget about him and move on._ " With a snarl, Joker blasted the damn thing apart. "Oh, you think that's scary, Bats?! Or you, Ozzys senior and junior? When I get out of here, I'll write my name, in blood, on every street corner. I'll carve it on every corpse, I'll- I'll- no one's forgetting me!" He shot at every piece of furniture.

"Denial, so sad," the brat quipped from somewhere. "Why wouldn't they forget you? You're just a crazy guy begging for attention. I'd laugh if it didn't sound so pathetic."

"Shut your damn mouth!" Joker raged, trying to find him. But he was nowhere to be found. "Now, how do I get out of here?" After one more turn, there was a hole in the wall all of a sudden, leading to an open area. But as Joker stormed out onto it, iron gates were everywhere, and the path back was gone. All there he could see was one more statue of Batman as lightning flashed and rain fell. "Where are you?!" he shot the statue multiple times and walked past its remains, but just solid concrete. "Come out!" Then another statue, this one of the runt, which got blown away. Joker walked in circle, eyes darting everywhere, humor gone now. "I'll find you!" But when he looked back, there was a stone-Ozzy. "Show your face!" The Clown Prince of Crime crushed that one, and something rolled out. Picked up, it turned out to be his stupid stick, which he made to throw against the nearest wall, but then another Batman-rock was just to his right, so he smashed it with the cane. And then more and more statues started popping up, some of Batman, some of Ozzy or that twerp he reincarnated to. "Out of ideas, guys?" Joker taunted with forced bravado, pulverizing any statue near him, either with the cane or his rifle. But no matter where he went or how many he broke, they just kept appearing. Some of which he didn't even recognize. This one had a long coat, that one looked like an old geezer who didn't know what a barber shop looked like, that one had a snazzy waistcoat and maybe a pocket watch. But most of all was Batman, in every cluster. His arms were getting tired from all the shooting and smashing.

Then just as he had broken two more statues, two in front of him burst apart by themselves. The nearest was a tanned guy in gray armor with a green cape, and he effortlessly tore the cane out of Joker's hand. "I believe this is mine." The man said before pulling him over to the other broken statue, where Batman leaped up and kicked him in the face. Then upon landing, the other guy pulled him to his feet and Batman socked him straight into the wall behind him, the impact breaking pieces off. Joker scrambled to his feet, gun at the ready, but the courtyard was empty again. He then noticed that golden light was spilling out of the gaps in the wall. Quickly shooting it all away, he walked closer to see the glare fade away and show a catwalk. With a laugh, Joker jumped down and started walking down it. "So long, Bats! Adios, Ozzy! Hell of a ride, but I'm getting off!" Chains hung over him and a switch with big red light was at the end, "EXIT" reading over it. He chuckled while flipping it down, the red bulb shutting off and a green one flipping on. "You know, you guys almost had me scared back there! ME! Ha!" Lights started flickering on all over the place. "What have I got to be afraid of?" The gate over the exit read "ARKHAM ASYLUM," and cells were suspended by chains in nearly every space.

Just as he was starting to feel uneasy again, a voice called out. "A most interesting question." His eyes darted to where he had first landed on the catwalk; that armored man was standing there again, green cape swaying behind him, Ozzy's stick nestled in his hands. Now that the clown thought about it, his voice sounded like an older version of the brat's, mixed with the pinhead's wisdom.

"Hey now!" Joker laughed in an effort to appear unaffected. "You wouldn't happen to be the first Ozzy, wouldja? So what does that make you? Oz-man, maybe?" He then fired a volley at him, not liking this one bit.

But the man casually deflected the shots with a twirl of his cane, face set in an unimpressed frown. "As I was saying, you raised a curious topic just now: What is the Joker afraid of?" He nodded his chin to something behind Joker. The criminal's smile faded.

He quickly turned around to see a sign above saying, "ARKHAM ASYLUM INTENSIVE TREATMENT" and massive gears turning in the background as a narrow cell came through the opening. "You're afraid of being ashes. You're afraid of being forgotten." That voice said as it came to a stop in front of him making him back away. As the locks clicked open, he continued. "And you will be forgotten, Joker." The door fell open with a thud, Joker stepping back from the Dark Knight glaring at him from inside. "HELL" was carved into the metal behind him. "Because of me." He then advanced towards his archenemy, who desperately shot round after round at him, but each hit just made an ink-blot face and a swarm of bats. His backtracking came to an end when he thudded against something with a clang. Joker barely had time to see Oz looking down at him impassively before Batman swatted away his gun and hoisted him up by the collar.

His eyes shined green. "I am vengeance! I am the night!" He then pulled in Joker's terrified face. "I AM BATMAN!" He then headbutted Joker towards the cage and stepped towards him, Ozma following him. Batman punched and kicked him again and again. The madman rallied enough to try and fight back, but with every blow, the detective beat him closer and closer to his final destination. Right after he threw him further away, Joker jumped up and desperately made to stab him with a hidden blade, but a black cane swept past Batman's face and struck the wrist, making him drop it with a yelp. Batman exchanged a nod with his ally, then forced him up again for another headbutt, and as Joker held for dear life against the cage's sides, he threw punch after punch at the man who had caused him so much grief in his life, before, with a straight kick, he launched him clean into the cell.

As one, Batman and Ozma knelt down to pick up the door and slam it back as the Joker stumbled back towards them. "No, Bats, WAIT!" But it was too late; Ozma calmly fastened the locks in place while Batman glared at him. "No! Please! NOOOO!"

The wizard stepped away, his work done. "Goodbye, Joker." Batman said, pushing the cell off into the depths despite the clown's protests.

"No, Bruce! Don't leave me! Oz, don't let him do this to me, please!" The last thing the pair heard as they turned away and he was locked behind iron gates was, "I need you…"

Ozma then clapped his friend on the shoulder. "But you don't need him."

Bruce turned with a light smile as the ancient hero's body flared up with green energy. When it faded, Professor Ozpin and Oscar Pine stood before him, both returning his smile. "I thought there was something going on. Let me guess: that piece of magic you gave me during the fight Sage and I had with Joker."

Ozpin shared a proud look with his successor. "World's Greatest Detective, indeed." They all laughed for a moment before walking down the catwalk. "Our magic is connected to Ozma's soul, hence why every reincarnation was capable of using it. When Oscar, and with that, I mean the original Oscar, channeled his power into you for the final blow, he also implanted pieces of his soul into you. Namely, us." He tapped his chest and placed a hand on Oscar's shoulder.

"Then it was you, in Arkham City, keeping me alive."

"Well, we did the best we could," Oscar took over as the world around them grew brighter. "The magic wasn't enough to completely stop Joker's corruption, but it did help to give your body a boost. Your own willpower played just as big a part in keeping you going." He then rubbed his shoulder, an apologetic look in his eyes. "And that Joker still managed to hide away where we couldn't find him until Crane's toxin gave him power. Sorry about that."

"If we had directly confronted him," Oz continued, "there's a very good chance that he would've simply gone into hiding again. The only way we could be sure he'd be completely locked up…"

"was to convince him he'd already won. Which is why I let Crane inject me repeatedly." Batman finished while they came to a stop in front of a door. "Thank you. Both of you."

Oscar smiled at him while Ozpin looked him in the eye with pride. "You know, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on both of our planets," he held out a hand, "but meeting you, Bruce, has never been one of them." They shook like longtime friends.

Then it was Oscar's turn. "I'm sorry about what happened to Jason, and with Barbara and Tim," he started, clasping Batman's hand with both of his own, "but you managed to save them. And Gotham is safer, thanks to the Batman. You've given them hope, real hope. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't, I promise." Bruce Wayne smiled again at two of his former partners. "And I wish I could talk with you more, but I need to stop Scarecrow."

"Of course." Oz pulled Oscar close and nodded his head goodbye. "We're using the last of our magic to burn out the Joker's influence and Crane's toxin. This may be the last time you see either of us, so I hope you know how proud of you we are." Batman nodded, then opened the door and walked through, his mind a lot calmer than it had been in a long time.

"Do you understand, Gotham?" Scarecrow went on, cameras capturing every detail of his speech. "You have no savior. No more hope…" he then turned to his captive, syringes ready. "No. More. Batman!" Bruce grunted as a fresh dose was injected into his body. Veins surged black. The villain leaned in. "I've won."

But a second later, his skin was back to normal. "I'm not afraid, Crane." He defiantly said.

Scarecrow's eyes widened. "Impossible…" He stumbled away, yanking out his syringes, then rallied himself and drew his handgun, aiming it at the hero's head. "Without life, fear is meaningless."

Batman didn't even blink. "A wise friend once said, ' _fear itself isn't worthy of concern. It is who we become while in its clutches._ '" Scarecrow hesitated at the words, then a red spot danced on it before it was shot out of his hands. Batman briefly nodded his thanks up to Jason, now sporting a red bat symbol and his helmet a bright crimson, before the next shot freed his left hand. Crane made to re-inject him, but Batman effortlessly caught the hand and forced it back. "So, Crane," the detective said as he grabbed the disgraced doctor by the throat and held up his deadly instruments, "who will you become?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand done! Consider this a possible future in our timeline. Two little scenes to which I added a little wizard touch. I'm not subtracting Batman's willpower here, I just want to show that Ozpin and Sage have got his backs.
> 
> I don't know if I'll ever write a City or Knight version, or just stick with Origins and Asylum, so this epilogue is a little something for the former two.  
> And special thanks to all my loyal readers, reviewers followers, and favoriters. It's been fun!

**Author's Note:**

> So, inspired by stories like "Belladonna and The Bat," "The Bat and The Blood-Red Rose," and various others, this is the prologue of my own story, featuring RWBY's very own farmboy-turned-wizard, Oscar Pine. Timeline is right after Vol. 7's finale and seeing as I don't want to make Oscar TOO powerful (and because I don't fully know what he's capable of), he won't be showing off his magic tricks at every chance.
> 
> Please leave constructive criticism, no flames, and enjoy!


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